Seeking Shelter From the Storm
by WritePassion
Summary: Michael, Fiona, and Sam are on the run and split up for their protection. Sam misses his friends and the woman he loves, but he has a mission to complete, and if he succeeds, they'll have their lives back.
1. Chapter 1

_Burn Notice: I don't own it, I just like to play with it._

**Seeking Shelter From the Storm**

By WritePassion

His sleep was filled with tormenting dreams lately. Between those and the real nightmare that had become his life, he was a wreck. After another restless night in a cheap motel in the middle of a dusty Texas town, Sam Axe, a.k.a. Jake Baldwin, peered at himself in the mirror. The lines on his face deepened, the scruff could almost be classified as a beard, and he hated the way he looked. He wished that it would all end soon. He missed his friends. He really missed Elsa! He wanted to go home, but at this point, if he did, everyone they left behind would be fair game. Anson's destruction and death brought the CIA down on their shoulders; now all they could do was run.

It quickly became apparent that he, Michael, and Fiona needed to split up and maintain silence, and God willing, maybe they would reunite in the predetermined place in four months, which was coming soon. He kept that information locked up inside his memory, because it would be too dangerous to record somewhere. Until then, he was on his own.

He stared at himself in the mirror. I wonder how Elsa is taking this. Leaving her alone in the middle of the night, half asleep, with just a kiss and a goodbye... and one last "I love you". What kind of man does that to the woman he loves? I should have taken her with me! But it was too risky. Better to put only my life in danger, and the worst thing she'll have to deal with is agents watching her for the next few months, hoping that I get stupid and come back. I love her to death, but I wouldn't be doing either of us any favors if I slipped off back to Miami to see her.

Thoughts like that were what invaded his dreams at night and left him off his game, at least until he had at least a couple of cups of coffee in the morning.

He groaned, ran a hand through his dyed hair, and reached for a razor. The stubble on his face wasn't matching the hair on his head. He had to rid himself of it or risk attracting undesired attention. When he finished, Sam studied himself in the mirror. He couldn't get used to the reddish brown hair. It wasn't him! But until it was safe to come out from under, he was stuck with it, or until he needed to alter his appearance again.

His finger traced the scar on the left side of his chin, and for a moment he contemplated risking a visit to a plastic surgeon to have it fixed. Not that he could afford it, and besides, it was such a part of who he was, if he lost it, he was one step closer to losing himself.

He slipped into a pair of jeans that fit like a well worn glove and stretched a dark blue, plain t-shirt over his head. His hair was still damp and lay in cowlicks that he straightened out with his fingers. He hated the cut. It reminded him too much of his military days. Before going out the door, he glanced at his right upper arm, checking to make sure the tattoo was covered. The Hawaiian shirts Sam loved so much covered it nicely, but they would have been a red flag to the people trying to find him. Jake Baldwin wore t-shirts, and sometimes if the sleeves were a little short the tattoo peeked out. He'd already had one question about his tat, and he managed to hold it off with a mumble that he'd rather not talk about it.

"Mornin', Jake." The cheerful voice greeted him as he entered the diner. A few eyes turned his way, and some nodded a greeting or raised a hand in hello.

"Mornin', Vonnie." He slipped into a booth in the corner where he could sit with his back to the wall and keep an eye on the door. He'd been doing this for long enough that the regulars always made sure "his" booth was empty.

Vonette, a forty-something redhead with a heart shaped face and a ruby red smile hustled over to his table to pour him a cup of coffee. "Same old thing, Baby?"

Her endearments always made him smile. "Yeah, thanks."

"Alrighty, comin' right up!" She sashayed her behind back to the kitchen, where she yelled through a window. "Two eggs over easy, toast, and a fruit bowl."

Sam almost called out, "With yogurt." But he restrained himself, because since he arrived in Grandy, Texas, he hadn't even seen a carton of the stuff in the grocery store. Mike and Fi would go nuts here without yogurt! I'm not sure how I've been able to stay here as long as I have with nothing familiar and comfortable. But as long as I'm not found out, this place is as good as any to be.

Grandy was a town so small it didn't even show up on a map, and Sam wound up there by accident. He'd been chased by agents from Dallas southward, and if necessary, he would have found a way to crash the border into Mexico in order to escape. But somehow, he lost them. Then the truck he was driving, an old beater that never should have gone as fast as it did in the chase, blew a cylinder. Thanks to a kindly old man, he got a ride into town, a tow truck pulled his heap into the service station, and he found himself a few hundred dollars poorer. That was money he couldn't afford to lose. When the shop owner learned he knew his way around an engine, he made a deal with Jake to pay back in sweat equity what it cost to fix the truck.

"Hey, Jake, you already order?"

Jake looked up at his boss. "Yeah, Darrin, I ordered. Go ahead, sit down. Vonnie? Darrin wants to order."

"Be right there, Sugar." Her smile was as thick and sweet as the syrup in the container to the left of Jake's elbow. Neither man spoke again until she took Darrin's order and walked away.

Darrin leaned forward, his forearms on the table. "Are you thinkin' of movin' on soon?"

"Yeah, I was thinkin' about it." He was never good at southern accents, but if asked to do a Yooper accent, he was all over that. It was a little too distinctive for his taste though, so he stuck with no accent at all. When keeping undercover, simple was always best. It was bad enough he couldn't use Chuck Finley as his false identity. Too many of the wrong people knew that one. "Why'd you ask?"

"You're doin' a great job at the shop, Jake. I don't wanna lose ya."

"I worked for what I owed you."

"I know that." Darrin slurped his coffee. "I'm just askin' if you can stay a week. Just until I get another guy in here."

"You got somebody in mind?"

"Yeah. A friend with a shop in Lake Platte, 'bout ten miles north of here, he's got a guy who wants to move to Grandy. He's marryin' Sarah Jean Cooper, and she wants to stay in town, so that ole boy's gonna have to move way down here."

Ten miles. Sam could drive that going from Coral Gables to Miami Beach. It was all in the perspective. Jake said, "Okay, well, when this guy is ready to start, I'm out of here. I've got something to do, and it's not going to wait." The first place on his friends' list of meeting was Topeka, in two weeks, and he needed to make that meeting as desperately as he needed to breathe.

"I really appreciate it, Jake. I'm really sorry ya gotta leave, 'cause you've been doin' a great job."

"Those newer cars, though, they're not easy."

"I know! Thank God for all the old trucks around here, or I'd be out of business in a few years."

The men chatted about trivial stuff, while Jake kept his eyes roving around the diner and out the windows. Darrin watched him. Something was up with that guy, but whenever he tried to ask, Jake blew it off as an old habit from his time in the military. Darrin asked him once which branch he was in and where he served, but Jake didn't like talking about it. He didn't like talking about a lot of stuff. He was a pretty quiet guy, but there was a hardness about him. Darrin suspected he'd been through some lean times and he'd fought through them. A guy his age should be thinking about retirement, but Jake was all about surviving.

Jake finished his breakfast and laid his fork on the empty plate. Vonnie swooped in, grabbed it, and asked, "Jake, you want some more coffee?"

He hesitated. Then he looked at Darrin and nodded. "Sure. Thanks, Vonnie."

A loud blast shook the diner windows and caused everyone's heads to swivel toward the front to see the source.

"What the..." Darrin choked on his coffee. He recovered and stared with his mouth hanging open at the sight of a fireball that rose up from behind the buildings across the street. He noticed Jake had gotten out of the booth, crouched down below the table, and reached behind him for something that wasn't there. Frustration showed on his face.

"Where is that?"

Darrin replied. "A couple blocks down. Looks like the Jackson twins are at it again."

"Doing what?"

"Tryin' to blow up stuff." Darrin's brow furrowed. "Only this time, I think they really did some damage."

"Ya think?" Jake shot up, picked up his ball cap from the bench, and hurried outside.

"Jake! What d'ya think you're gonna do?" Darrin followed him and called to Vonnie on his way out the door. "We'll take care of the bill later!"

He ran after Jake, who charged full speed around the market, through a couple of back yards, and leaped over a short chain link fence. For a guy in what Darrin assumed was his late 40s, he was in great shape. Jake tore around the garage and stopped in front. Black smoke billowed out of the structure when Darrin arrived huffing. But Jake wasn't there. He was already inside.

"Jake! Be careful!" The heat from the fire pushed him back, which was a good thing. A gas can exploded, sending a small fireball up into the rafters and setting the old dry wood on fire. Darrin peered into the acrid smoke as he continued to call Jake's name.

Suddenly, one of the Jackson twins popped out from the smoke cloud and landed on his hands and knees on the gravel driveway, coughing and choking on the fumes he inhaled. A couple seconds later, Jake came out of the billowing cloud with the other twin in his arms. The kid was unconscious, his arms and legs dangling from Jake's grip. He trotted him down to the curb and away from the fire before he put him down. Darrin picked up the other kid by the collar and towed him over to where Jake lay his brother on the grass.

"Corey, Casey! What on earth have you boys done this time?" Mrs. Jackson came out of the house, screaming at them. She stopped on the sidewalk and stared down at the prone figure and the stranger bowed over him. "Corey! My Lord, what's wrong with him?"

No one answered. They simply watched as Jake laid out the kid, checked for a pulse and respiration, and when he found him unresponsive and turning blue, he started breathing into him. All around them, fire trucks and police arrived. Firefighters and officers scurried about their business. One cop stopped at the curb and looked down at the scene.

"What's he doin'?"

"He's savin' Corey's life, that's what he's doin'!" Darrin answered. "Call for the ambulance!"

Grandy's fire department was small, made up of volunteers with two trucks and a chief's SUV. The police department had only one squad. If they needed an ambulance or a hospital, Lake Platte was the closest town with both. The officer got on his radio and dispatched an ambulance.

"There's one on the way. What were these boys into this time?"

"Who knows. They do a lot of experimentin'."

While Darrin conversed with the cop, Jake worked to get the kid breathing again. When he started to see spots, he sat back on his heels and heard the satisfying sound of a child's cough. He covered his face with his hands and took a few breaths to avoid passing out himself.

"You okay, Jake?"

"Yeah," he answered after a few moments. "I'm okay. Where's that ambulance?"

"Still probably ten minutes out, at least."

Jake muttered something under his breath and returned his attention to Corey. The boy had a serious gash on his arm and was bleeding profusely. "Ma'am." He looked up at the boy's mother. "Can you run into the house and get me some towels, gauze, tape and scissors? And some water."

"Y-yes, sure!" She whirled and ran for the house.

While he waited for her to come back, he pressed his bare hand to the wound, hoping it was enough pressure to make it stop. What did these kids do? I haven't seen shrapnel wounds like this since Afghanistan! A couple minutes later Mrs. Jackson returned with everything he requested. She dropped it all beside him. Jake looked up at her. "It's gonna be okay. Just try to relax."

Eventually, the firefighters put out the flames and soaked down the smoldering wood to prevent a flare-up. The twins went to the hospital with their mother. Darrin and Jake stood to the side in the shade of an old oak tree watching the commotion.

"That was somethin', what you did, Jake."

Jake coughed. "It was nothing."

"Are you kidding me? You saved those boys lives!" Darrin slapped Jake on the back and winced as Jake pulled away. "Hey, what happened to you?" In all the excitement, nobody paid attention to the fact that his friend might have been hurt.

"Nothing. I'll be okay."

Darrin turned him away a little and saw a small hole in his t-shirt. Blistered flesh poked through. "Jeez, Jake, you're burned!"

"Yeah? Until you touched it, I didn't even realize it." He flexed his arm and the back muscle moved with it, causing him to suck in his breath.

"Dang, better get you over to Doc Harper's place and get that looked at. Come on, Jake, no arguments!"

"You won't get any from me." Jake followed Darrin back to the diner where his boss left his truck. They took care of the bill and Darrin watched as Jake carefully got into the truck and sat with his back away from the seat. Darrin drove him to the clinic. It was unusually empty, so there was no wait to see the doctor. Dr. Harper treated Jake's burn and gave him some medication for the pain, then sent him on his way.

Outside the clinic, Darrin turned to Jake and said, "I know you were thinkin' of leavin', but you know, once word gets out about this, you're gonna be the local hero for the next week or so!"

"I'd rather not be," Jake mumbled.

Darrin laughed. "Then boy, you gotta stop tryin' to save people!"

Jake nodded and fell silent. You're right, Darrin. If I'm going to survive being on the run, I have to be careful about what I do. It goes against my nature, but I might have to curb my instincts in order to keep from drawing attention to myself.

"Hey, you look like you better take it easy today. Why don'tcha go back to the motel and get some rest? Or better yet, come on over to my place! Katie'll take good care of ya."

Until this point, Jake had made it a practice not to get too close to anybody, not learn too much about them, or let them learn too much about him. His sixth sense told him that going to Darrin's house and interacting with his wife and kids was not a good idea. But the pain meds were blurring his judgement, and he surrendered.

He said, "Sure, Darrin. I just need a little rest, and I'll be good as new tomorrow."

"Alrighty! Let's go!" For some reason, the idea of Jake meeting his family at last really made Darrin's day.

Despite himself, Sam liked Darrin. Maybe a small part of him hoped he could dig in here in Grandy and stay until things cooled down in the outside world. But he'd been in the spy business long enough to know that when you're on the run, no place is ever safe until the reason you're running is neutralized.


	2. Chapter 2

****_I couldn't help myself! I just had to put up another chapter today!_

**Chapter 2**

"Katie! Where are ya?"

Katie, Darrin's wife, came down the hall and into the kitchen where Darrin and Jake stood. The couple lived in a small ranch house with three kids. Judging by the disarray in the kitchen, they were jammed into the small structure. Having a houseguest, however brief his stay, would be a burden. Jake took a step back.

"Darrin, maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"Oh, come on!" Darrin grinned and held fast to his arm. "I know it's kind of a disaster in here, but it ain't 'cause Katie's a bad housekeeper or nothin'. We just got no room for all this stuff."

"But that doesn't mean we don't have room for you, Jake." Katie said with a warm smile and a deep drawl. She held out her hand. "It's a real pleasure to meet you. I've never met a real hero before."

Jake's face fell. "You know about that?"

"I told ya, Jake! It's probly all over town by now! You know, we got these things called telephones, and cell phones, and the internet! Everybody's called, texted, and tweeted everybody else in town by now."

Jake snorted. "Great. Who needs a newspaper?"

"Exactly!" Darrin grinned. "That's why we don't have one. Now, come on in to the living room. Take off yer boots, put up yer feet, and Katie can get ya somethin' to drink."

Sam would have asked for a beer, but Jake was a teetotaler. In a town where beer flowed with near abandon at every social occasion, it was a hard thing to do. But Sam Axe needed to stay hidden, and if not drinking got the job done, he'd force himself to quit.

"I'll get ya a Coke, hon. Be right back." She soon returned with a glass filled with ice, soda, and a wedge of lemon stuck on the rim.

"Thanks, Katie." Jake took the glass, squeezed the lemon juice into the soda, and she took the wedge from him. He nodded his thanks again. The first sip was cold, a little tart, and bubbly, and it went down really good. He leaned back into the couch and grimaced. "Oh, that's a bad idea."

"You might have to lay down on yer side and keep away from the couch back fer awhile," Katie said. She took the glass from him and set it on the end table on the opposite side of the couch. Over her shoulder, she said, "Darrin, I can handle things from here. You go get that shop open, and maybe in a couple days Jake can be back on the job helpin' you."

Darrin nodded and gave her a smile full of love. "Yer in good hands, buddy. Katie's a nurse. I'll see y'all tonight, darlin'." He gave her a kiss on the lips, not caring that he had an audience, and his eyes smoldered as he backed off and left the house. It didn't escape Sam's attention, and for just a moment he felt a stab of jealousy. He wished again that he'd brought Elsa along. She would have taken care of him and he wouldn't have had to bother these nice people.

Katie guided Jake down on the couch until he lay on his left side. He looked around at the living room. It would never win any design awards, but the furniture, though a little worn, was comfortable and inviting. A flat screen TV hung on the wall and a dark walnut cabinet sat below full of stereo equipment, a game console, and other electronics. Unlike the kitchen, the room was spotless. He expected it to be a mess, given the fact that they had three kids.

"It's so quiet. Where are your kids?"

Katie smiled and replied, "The two oldest are out playin' with their friends. They'll be home in time fer lunch."

Jake gaped at her. "You don't know exactly where they are?"

Katie flapped a hand in the air. "Why worry? It ain't like they're goin' anywhere!"

Ah, the naivete of small town life! "What about the baby?"

"She's sleepin' in her crib right now." As she spoke, Katie examined the hole in the back of his t-shirt and the bulge created by the bandage. "It would probly be best if ya took this off, give that wound a chance to breathe more."

"I'd rather not." Jake closed his eyes, weariness taking him over bit by bit.

She snorted. "Ya don't have to worry about me! I've seen lots more skin than that on my patients!" She pulled on the side of his shirt, which was tucked into his jeans. He grabbed her hand and stopped her. Disengaging from him, she moved to his arm and rubbed it gently. "Okay, have it yer way. Did the doc give ya somethin' fer the pain?"

"Yeah." Jake reached into his pocket, pulled out the small bottle of pills, and handed it to her.

"Okay, then, looks like you're gonna be joinin' Fiona for a little nap, Jake. Just relax, and don't fight it." She set the bottle next to his glass.

His eyes flew open. "Fiona?"

"Yeah, that's our little one." She smiled. "We gave her my great-gramma's name."

"Oh," He replied and his eyes slid closed. He couldn't keep them open any longer.

Ever since he took on his new identity, Sam was afraid of falling asleep in someone's presence, because it left him vulnerable and at their mercy; and sometimes, if he talked in his sleep, he left himself even more open to danger. He learned that lesson long ago in a country far away, when he trusted a woman who said she was an ally. He'd been injured then, too, and he fell asleep in her arms, lulled by her soft words and caresses. When he awoke, Sam found himself in a dungeon like prison, and he was tortured for nearly a week before a Spec Ops team found him and rescued his sorry butt.

But this was different, wasn't it? He was among friends. Still he fought it. The pain meds eventually kicked in, he was helpless to fight against the fog, and he went to sleep at last.

Katie watched him struggle, and she got down on her knees next to the couch, put her hand on his upper arm, and whispered a prayer for his healing. She went back to trying to put the kitchen into some order, but she couldn't help but hear the mumbled words and muffled cries coming from the couch. Darrin knew so little about this man and yet he trusted him enough to bring him home. Katie saw in the man's eyes that he was good, but something sinister was behind him. Maybe Jake would learn to trust them enough to reveal what it was, and if they could help, they would.

After awhile, Jake stopped making noises, so Katie moved to the couch to check on him. His vitals were good, and it appeared that whatever plagued him earlier left him alone at last. She touched his arm, but he didn't move. She noticed the pointed tip of a tattoo peeking out from under his t-shirt sleeve. Her curiosity piqued, Katie carefully peeled back the sleeve and studied the intricate design. Was this what he wanted to hide? It depicted an eagle in attack mode, its talons grasping an anchor. She had no idea what it stood for, but it obviously was something military, perhaps Navy.

Jake stirred. She quickly pulled his sleeve back into place and scurried down the hall to the couple's bedroom. She pulled her laptop from a shelf on the night stand, started it up, and opened the web browser. It didn't take long for her to find that the design was popular among Navy SEALs. Her breath caught. The man was an every day hero! She typed his name into the search engine, but had no luck. Hopefully if she added Navy and SEAL to the search, something would pull. What she found shocked her.

"Darrin, I think you need to come home. Now."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

He drove as close to the speed limit as he could, but Katie's cryptic request for him to hurry home left Darrin nervous and worried. He pulled into the driveway and Katie came out of the house with Fiona perched on her hip. The little girl saw him, squealed with delight, and held out her arms. Darrin took her and held her close, despite the grease on his shirt.

"Is she okay, Katie?"

"Fiona's fine." She smiled, but it faded. "It's our guest, Darrin. Do you really know anything about this man?"

"Not a whole lot. His name is Jake Baldwin, I think he said he was from Ohio or something. He was in the military at one time, and he's just wandering around from state to state looking for a place to settle down." He stared at Katie. "Why?"

She turned the laptop that she'd held in her hand, opened it, and displayed the page she found. "I don't know who he really is, Jake, but this... this is the real Jake Baldwin."

Darrin scanned the obituary. The Jake he knew didn't look anything like this guy and was older. The things Jake told him were mentioned in the article, except for the story of how he was wandering around the country. The dead Jake Baldwin was a mathematician and spent his life working for the university after he left the Navy. The Jake he knew didn't look like he spent a day in the classroom after graduation. He was handsome, yet rough, like he'd been through a lot in his life. That didn't sound like a mathematics professor.

"What's going on?" Darrin's voice came out in a whisper.

"I don't know. Darrin, I'm scared. Why would he pretend to be someone he's not, unless he's like an escaped criminal or something?" She shook her head. "Yet I find it hard to believe, because he's an honorable man. He saved Corey, he was in the Navy doing things, secret things." She told him what she discovered about Jake's tattoo.

"I can't believe he did something bad, Katie. There's a logical explanation, and we'll find out what it is. Then we'll go from there." Darrin moved toward the house. Katie followed him, and he handed Fiona over to her when they got inside. "Take her into the back yard for awhile. Just in case."

Darrin kept a handgun in the house, just for emergency's sake. In the town's entire history there had never been a break-in, but one could never be too careful these days. He retrieved the gun, loaded it, and returned to the living room.

Sam heard sounds, whispering, and footsteps while his mind revisited an imploding mission in Eastern Europe in living color. They'd worked so hard to become entrenched into this group, but someone gave them up, and now they would pay with their lives. Two of his men were mowed down by gunfire right before his eyes. He opened up on their killers, and even when a bullet took him down, Sam kept firing until all the shooting stopped. He brought a hand up to his right shoulder and it came away red. His breath heaved in short gasps as the world around him swam out of focus. It was then that he heard his friend's voice.

"Sam, it's okay! We'll take good care of you."

"Mike... Mike, it hurts."

"I know. We'll get you some help real soon. Just hold on."

Little did he know that Sam's words came out of Jake's lips, causing Darrin to wonder who 'Mike' was. He approached the couch and laid a hand on Jake's sleeve. The tip of the tattoo showed again, and he had to see it for himself. With one hand on the gun, he used his left hand to pull up the sleeve. The action woke Jake.

Through pain-fogged eyes, he tried to focus. "Darrin? What... what's going on?"

"It's okay, Jake." He gently pulled the sleeve down, grasped his arm, and pulled him up to sit on the couch.

Jake supported himself with his elbows on his knees and stared at the gun. "Hey, what's that for?"

"You tell me, Jake. Jake Baldwin, if that's yer real name."

He tried playing dumb. "I don't know what you're talking about. Of course it's my real name. I'll show you my license."

"Don't bother." Darrin pulled an ottoman over to the couch, sat on it, and kept the gun trained on the man he'd come to think of as not just an employee, but a friend. "Who are you? Why are you posing as this guy?" He picked up the laptop that he set down on the coffee table and turned it to face the man.

Sam saw the obituary and let out a long breath, then chuckled weakly. "There are plenty of guys out there with my name. Maybe even a few born around the same year as me. So what?"

"I trusted ya, Jake. I thought ya were fer real, but yer playin' some kind of game with me, my family, and this town. I think ya better jest get on over to the motel, pack up, and get outta here before ya deceive these people any more."

Sam met Darrin's eyes and saw betrayal in them, and he hung his head. In his weakened state, it would have been so easy to give up who he was and why he was running. But he didn't need to complicate things and possibly put Darrin and his family in danger. He nodded his head. "Yeah, I wish I could tell you the truth, man." He carefully stood, ignoring the pain over his shoulder blade. "Please believe me when I tell you I didn't mean to hurt anybody. All I can say is that I didn't do anything wrong. I mean, you know me well enough to believe that, don't you?"

Darrin looked into Jake's pleading eyes. "That's why I'm kinda shell shocked right now."

"I know. And I'm really sorry. Can you promise me something?"

"Maybe. What is it?"

He looked straight into Darrin's eyes, his own darkening with the gravity of the situation. "If anyone comes looking for Jake Baldwin, deny you ever saw me. It'll be much better for you and your family if you forget I ever existed."

Darrin nodded, and for some reason, his eyes teared up. He knew deep down that Jake was a good guy. "Jake, what's going on?"

"Trust me, you're better off not knowing."

The care and concern the man had for his family was genuine, and it touched him. He put the safety on the gun, tucked it into his waist band, and stepped forward to give Jake a hug and a slap on the back, careful of the wound.

"Take care, Jake." He pulled out the gun and handed it to him. "And take this. Ya might need it. And I've got some more clips, you can have 'em."

Jake looked down at the gun, his focus turning fuzzy again from the emotion flooding his eyes. "Thanks, Darrin. I'll never forget your kindness."

"Oh, hold on! Don't leave yet!" He trotted into the bedroom and scrounged around where he kept the extra ammunition. He soon returned with two more clips and a wad of cash. "We keep this all around fer emergencies. Seems like you've got a heck of one right now."

Jake let out a soft laugh. "I've had worse, pal. But thanks, anyway."

"Yer welcome. Good luck, Jake." He held out his hand. Jake shook it, accepted one more man hug from his former boss, and walked out the front door. Darrin watched Jake through the large window until he disappeared down the street.

Katie entered the house. "Darrin, where's Jake goin'? He shouldn't be up and around! Did you kick him out because of what I found?"

"No, honey." Darrin put his arm around her shoulders. "It's just time for him to move on. I don't know why he's using someone else's identity, but whatever the reason, he's into somethin' deep. He asked us to forget we ever saw him, and if someone asks about him, to deny he was ever here."

"Oh, mercy!" She looked down at the table and saw Jake's prescription still sitting there. "He left without his meds!"

"Somehow, I don't think he'd take 'em even if you went after him, babe. He's a man on a mission."

Small towns were notorious for news traveling fast, and Jake witnessed it firsthand. On his way back to the motel, several people stopped him, shook his hand, and thanked him for his heroic efforts to save the Jackson kids. He turned down offers for dinner and a better bed to sleep in while he was there, and some even offered him a beer. That was the hardest thing to refuse, but even though he was leaving, he couldn't risk something so innocent as a drink ruining his cover if someone tracked him to Grandy.

He finally made it to the motel. His burn throbbed, but he changed his shirt, packed his things, threw them into the cab of the truck, and went to pay for his lodging.

"Oh no, no, no, Jake. Can I call you Jake?"

"Uh, sure," Jake answered, giving the innkeeper a strange look. He didn't even know the guy's name.

"Alright, Jake, I don't need your money. Your stay has already been paid for!"

"What?"

"A bunch of people came by to take care of it. If you hadn't been here, those boys would have been killed. So they just wanna thank you properly."

Jake shrugged and hid a wince of pain. "No problem. Glad I was here to help. Now, I've gotta get moving."

"It was a pleasure having you stay with us, Jake! Are you sure you really have to go?"

"Yeah. I do. I've already stayed longer than I should have."

As much as he liked the laid-back, calmer pace of the small town, Jake couldn't wait to get out and on the road again. Sitting with his back against the seat hurt too much, and he suddenly realized that he'd left his meds at Darrin's house. But he refused to go back and get them. The minute this story hit outside of town, no doubt someone's curiosity would perk up and they'd come to check it out. Then again, maybe it would just fade away as some random small town news. Jake didn't think he could be that lucky.

He drove down a flat two lane road heading west northwest, hoping that he could find some place to get a bite to eat and sleep without being disturbed or disturbing someone's little world. He'd never been to Texas before, at least not this part. Houston and Dallas were it, except for a brief stint in Galveston assisting in cleanup after a major storm many years ago when he was in the Navy. His headlights flashed on a sign announcing that Alberta was only fifteen miles away.

Alberta. Isn't that in Canada? Sam laughed silently at his stupid joke. I must be getting really tired. Alberta, you can't get here fast enough, and I hope you've got a motel where I can crash.

One second his eyes were on the road. The next second, he jerked himself awake. Just in time, too, because a big brown steer took up his lane just fifty feet ahead. He jammed on the brakes and turned the steering wheel to navigate around it, but the truck went into a skid. He forgot that the truck was too old to have an antilock brake system. He took his foot off the brake and tried to steer out of the skid, but it was too late. The back wheels slipped onto the gravel shoulder on the opposite side of the road, the truck bed tipped precariously, followed by the cab. The truck tipped onto the driver's side and skidded on the asphalt to the side of the road. It rested on the shoulder with the back end hanging over a culvert.

Jake wasn't wearing his seatbelt.

Jolene was tired, dead tired, but she was almost home. She rounded a small curve, and in the distance she could see the lights of the ranch twinkling in the night. In the distance beyond it, lightning flashed, signaling that a storm was on the way. Good. We can use the rain. To her right, just off the road, she saw something and stopped, backed up, and shone her lights on it.

"Awww, man! Billy Ray!" She put the car in park and got out, and her heels clip clopped across the cooling asphalt as she approached the steer. "You are the most stubborn piece of meat I've ever seen!" She picked up the tie rope still attached to his harness. With one hand she opened up her cell phone.

"Yeah."

"Billy Ray, that stupid steer of yours broke out of the pen again! I swear, you need to shackle him with chains or something!"

"Where's he?"

"Just up the road, east of the ranch about a half mile or so. Come on out here with the trailer and get him. I'm drivin' my car, I can't take him."

"Alrighty, Jolene. I'll be right out there."

"Make it snappy, Billy Ray. I'll stay here with him so he doesn't go wanderin' off." She closed the connection and grumbled about her brother's intelligence while she waited. The steer tried to meander into the road, but she pulled on his lead and he stayed where he was. That didn't stop him from protesting, however. "Oh shut up, or I'll make steak burgers outta ya! Dumb a..."

Jolene peered into the darkness. Just out of the beams of her headlights, some of the glow dimly illuminated a large object. As her eyes adjusted, she realized it was a pickup truck on its side. She glared at the steer.

"Don't tell me. You had somethin' to do with this, didn't you? If anybody in that truck gets killed because of your shenanigans, you are dead meat. And that's a guarantee!" She had no clue if talking to the dumb animal qualified as smart, but sometimes it was the only way to keep her sanity when it came to living on the ranch with Billy Ray.

Headlights came up the road, skirted around the pickup, and stopped. Billy Ray flew out of the truck. "Jolene! Are you okay? What happened here?"

"Your dumb prized steer musta caused an accident!"

"Is anybody in the truck?" Billy Ray removed his cowboy hat and scratched his head.

"I don't know! Just take this animal! I'll check on the driver." She handed Billy Ray the tether and went to her car, pulled a flashlight from the glove compartment, and walked over to the truck. She shone the light into the cab through the cracked windshield and gasped. The man inside was unconscious or dead, she couldn't be sure. There was too much blood, and from where she stood, Jolene couldn't tell if he was breathing. "Billy Ray! Come here!"

"Whoooweee! That boy's got himself in a heap 'o trouble!"

"No kidding, Einstein! Go get Momma and Daddy, and have them bring the truck. Now!"

Jolene couldn't figure out what happened with her little brother Billy Ray. He was an idiot through and through, no common sense, and he barely graduated high school. Jolene, on the other hand, went to college and found herself a great job in Dallas working for one of the biggest accounting firms in the state. She could have gone to the Rivera for her vacation, but she missed her folks so much, she just wanted to go home. And this is what greeted her. Lord, I wish I'd become a paramedic, 'cause right now, this guy looks like he needs one bad!

She knew how to handle injuries and illnesses in cattle and horses; she'd also done her share of patching up people. The nearest hospital was fifty miles away, which made it necessary to learn first aid. If things got really bad, their neighbor five miles down the road was a doctor/veterinarian and could be counted on to help. In this case, however, she didn't want to do anything until her dad arrived. He was a medic in the Army many years ago and was well versed in prepping someone to be moved.

"Daddy, there's a man in there, looks like he's alive, but I'm not sure." She reported as she hugged him.

"It's okay, sweetheart, we'll get him out and take a look."

The windshield shattered when Daniel hit it with a tire iron. He was in his 50s, but the years of working the ranch kept him fit and strong. A couple more swats, and it gave way completely. "Okay, keep holdin' onto that flashlight, darlin'. I'm goin' in there to check on this fella."

Jolene kept the light steady. Her mother stood beside her with another larger light that she pulled out from the gear box in the truck bed. "Daniel, be careful!"

"I will, Maddie. Don't you worry 'bout a thing!"

"Daddy, you need any help in there?"

"No, but I am gonna need that stuff I brought along. Take that light from your momma, and Maddie, you know what I'm talkin' about."

Maddie nodded. She gave the light to Jolene and hurried to retrieve the things Daniel needed. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Daniel heard it, looked up at the sky through the broken passenger side window, and prayed that the rain would hold off for awhile.

The man startled at the sound of a very loud thunderclap. Lightning charged the air outside the window, highlighting the rivulets of water that ran down the panes. But other than a slight jump, he didn't respond to anything else. Daniel let out a deep breath and pulled the stethoscope out of his ears.

"How is he, darlin," Maddie asked as she entered the room with a tray. On it, she had a glass of iced tea and a bowl of soup.

Daniel turned and saw the tray. "He won't be needin' any of that tonight, Maddie. That head injury is gonna keep him out for awhile. I've been trying to rouse him, and he'll sorta get there, but not quite." A peal of thunder sounded like a curtain tearing and ended in a crescendo that rattled the house. The lights flickered, then came back strong.

The patient mumbled something unintelligible and shifted. His face registered pain, and he rolled over. Daniel had stripped him down to his boxers and covered him to the waist with a blanket while he examined him for breaks or internal bleeding, so when the man turned onto his stomach, Maddie saw the bandage over his right shoulder blade.

"What's that on his back," she asked.

"It looked like a burn. It's recent, but it didn't happen in the accident. I re-dressed it after my initial exam. Once this storm lets up, I think I'm gonna have Henry come on out and take a look at him."

"Will he have to go to the hospital?"

"I hope not. I think he's just got a concussion and some bruising. I haven't been able to detect anything broken, but I just wanna be sure." He stood and stretched. "There's not a whole lot I can do for him right now, honey. Let's go out in the living room and let him rest, and I'll check back in an hour."

When they left the room and entered the living space, she asked, "Do we even know his name?" She hated the thought of something terrible happening to the stranger or have him die without anyone knowing who he was.

"I found his wallet in his jeans, Momma." Jolene held it up. "His name is Jake Baldwin. His driver's license says he's from Cincinnati, Ohio. Poor guy. No wonder he's down here." She shrugged. "Anyway, he travels light. No credit cards, he's got the driver's license and cash and that's about it. Not even any pictures of a wife, kids, nothing." She let out a breath.

"Did you look in his luggage?"

"No, Daddy." Jolene got up from her seat at the dining room table. "I'm gonna get my laptop and see if I can check this guy out on the internet."

"There has to be someone out there who knows him. Someone who has to be wondering where he is tonight," Maddie said softly as she stared out into the darkness and watched the rain pour down.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Sticking to big cities and blending in worked to keep them safe. It cost more, but with both himself and Fi, they could pool their talents and resources to make it work. As Sean and Shannon McKellar, they slipped into an Irish neighborhood in Indianapolis, found jobs that paid the bills, and settled in for awhile until it was time to meet Sam, or someone figured out that they weren't who they said they were. So far, it seemed to be far too easy to take on new identities, forge documents, and use the new Social Security numbers that he'd obtained through a trusted source. Ever day, he lived with the fear that someone would figure it all out, and the CIA would be knocking on their door. That's why they had to move. In a few days, they would be leaving to meet Sam in Topeka. After that, he had no clue where they would go.

"Sean, I'm home!"

He turned and smiled at his wife as she entered the sunny kitchen. That was one thing he'd done right. When he and Shannon were in Buffalo, they got married. It was a bittersweet ceremony because none of their family or friends were there. He'd always thought that Sam would be his best man. His mom would have been crying her eyes out with happiness. He shook away the sad thoughts and kept the smile on his face as he took her into his arms. "Good to see you, my love!" He kissed her, pulled away, and studied her. He knew without her saying a word that she had a rough day. She nestled in his arms. "What happened?"

"Just tired, sweetheart. Workin' in a factory is not my cuppa tea, but we do what we must to get by." She responded as she looked up at him. "And you?"

"You should have joined me workin' at SecureTech."

"Aye, but sittin' around all day starin' at computers isn't exactly my idea of a job. 'Tis more like a chore." She patted his stomach, where a slight bulge formed. "'Tis takin' a toll on your physique, my dear."

"What's your excuse," Sean asked teasingly as he placed his hand on her stomach and rubbed it.

"Ah, you're a sassy one, aren't ya?" She laughed, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him deeply.

Sean broke the contact and muttered, "'Twas that very thing that got us into trouble." He laughed and he held her closer, effectively hiding the fact that he worried about their future, and now, with a baby on the way, even more so.

"Hello. I hope I'm not interruptin' anything."

Sean and Shannon turned to look at the old woman who stood in the open door. "No, Mrs. Flannery, Shannon just got home. Anything we can do for ye?"

"I was wonderin' if ye'd like to have dinner with me? Corned beef and cabbage, with those little potatoes that you love so much, Sean." She smiled at them.

He and Shannon tried hard to not get too familiar with people, and through most of their journey they'd been quite successful. But then they made the mistake of renting the upstairs flat from Mrs. Flannery, an old, lonely widow. She took them under her wing, gave them useful tips for getting around the city and finding jobs, and generally made herself a useful asset. Over the past couple of months, she efficiently wormed her way into their hearts, which made leaving at the end of the month painful. The only thing that hurt more was leaving his mother behind in Miami when they went on the run.

Shannon said, "We'd love to, Mrs. Flannery! Thank you!"

"We'll be right down, ma'am," Sean added.

"Alright." Mrs. Flannery gazed at the hold the two had on each other, and her eyes filled with memories and longing. A soft sigh came out of her, and she turned and descended the stairs.

"Sean, I feel so bad for her," Shannon whispered. She blinked away the tears that seemed to come too easily these days. "I'm going to be sorry to leave her. Maybe we should stay. We'll go to Topeka and meet with Sam, then come back here."

"No, Shannon. We've got to keep moving," Sean replied softly. Even in private, he held staunchly to them using their fake names to avoid the chance of slipping up public. "Now, let's go have dinner with Mrs. Flannery. Enjoy the time we have left with her."

Shannon nodded, swiped at her eyes, and moved toward the stairs.

Later that night, after they went to bed, Sean and Shannon discussed their upcoming trip. "It should take only about nine hours or so to get to Topeka. If we leave the day before, we can stay overnight and be sure to get there in plenty of time."

"Sounds good." Shannon said. She let out a breath and snuggled into him more. "I never thought I'd say this, but I miss Sam. So many times I catch myself wondering how he's doing. How your mom's holding up..."

"Jesse..."

She let out a small laugh. "Jesse is safe, I'm sure. He couldn't have gotten that job in the Caymans at a better time." Then she sobered. "I hope your mom isn't worrying herself sick over us."

"We'll figure out a way to contact her one of these days." He swallowed the emotion rising up in him. He never thought he'd miss his mom as much as he did. For so many years she was insecure,needy, and tough to be around. His being in Miami and getting her involved in their cases gave her confidence. She'd become a stronger person, and he thought she could handle staying behind. The CIA had no reason to harass her. They might observe her for awhile to see if he came home, but otherwise she should have been left alone.

"I wonder how long we'll have to run. I hope it's not forever."

"Aye, Shannon. We just have to find a place where we can stay permanently, where people won't be into our business." He paused. "And I can ditch this accent."

She laughed. "I used to think I sounded like a leprechaun. I know I've got nothin' on ye, Sean!"

He growled and nibbled on her ear, causing her to laugh out loud. She attacked his neck with kisses and set him on fire, and he loved her until they both tired and fell asleep in each other's arms. He heard thunder, and rain tapped on the window. For a moment, he wondered where Sam was, and if he had shelter from the storm. For some reason, he couldn't get it out of his head that something was wrong, and the thought wouldn't vacate his brain as he drifted off to sleep.

A loud roll of thunder interrupted one of Jake's nightmares and woke him from a deep sleep. He bolted upright in bed, and pain caused his breath to suck out of him so fast, he suddenly felt as if he were being suffocated. Lightning illuminated the room and someone who stood in the door watching him. Jake suddenly found a breath to cry out, and he rolled off the bed, got down on the floor, and fought to get out of the covers as he searched in vain for his gun.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, Jake." Daniel came around the bed and turned on the lamp. He looked down into a pair of terrified brown eyes full of pain. He gave him a reassuring smile, grasped his arms, and helped him to sit up on the bed as he spoke to him calmly. "Settle down, Jake, you're safe here. Nobody's gonna hurt you."

"Who... who are you?" Jake sat on the bed and wrapped his hands around his arms as if he were shivering from the cold, but it was in fact fear and shock that gripped him.

"My name is Daniel. You're on my ranch. My wife Madeline, and our daughter Jolene and son Billy Ray are here. Nobody else."

"M-Madeline? Maddie's here?" He looked around the room, his eyes darting about, trying to find her. "Where is she? Maddie! Maddie!" He tried to get up, but Daniel held him down.

Madeline came running, but when she entered the room, she discovered that it wasn't Daniel who called her.

Daniel spoke. "Maddie, I think we better call Henry now."

"Alright." She stared at Jake, and his eyes never left her even as she turned and left the room.

"Dan... Daniel?" Jake turned to him, and in the lamplight his eyes glistened. "Daniel, that's not her. That's not Madeline." He sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

Daniel gave him a soft smile. "That's my wife." He got off his knees and gently pushed Jake onto his back. "You should lie down and relax. Our friend is a doctor. He'll come and take a look at you, and hopefully we won't have to take you to the hospital."

Jake struggled again, only he quickly ran out of steam. "No, no hospitals! No doctors. I-I can't... ahhh..." He fell silent, lost in unconsciousness again.

"Henry's coming, even in this storm."

"Thanks, Maddie."

She came into the room and stood beside Daniel. The stranger lay on the bottom sheet, but the covers were still pooled on the floor. She reached down, pulled the sheet and blanket up and over his body. When her hand touched him, she pulled back. "Daniel, he feels warm." She leaned over and rested a hand on his forehead, just beneath the bandages that covered the wound on his head. "Yes, he's definitely warm!"

"I know, darlin'. That's one of the reasons I wanted you to call the doc. I think Jake is a very ill man."

Henry agreed with Daniel's diagnosis. "I'd be happier if we could take him to the city and get a CT scan and all that, but he's probably just better off staying here and not being moved."

"My thoughts exactly, Henry." Daniel glanced at his watch and his eyes moved up to the cathedral ceiling and the wooden rafters. "Sounds like the storm is over."

"Good. Maybe that poor boy can get some rest now." Henry got up and stretched. "Y'all want me to stay, just in case?"

"If you wouldn't mind, Henry." Maddie smiled. "I've got the second guest room ready for you."

"Thank you kindly, Maddie. I'll see y'all in the mornin', or sooner if our patient wakes up."

"We'll take turns watching over him," Daniel said. "I'll do first watch." He turned back to the room where Jake lay.

Madeline went to bed, but Jolene stayed up a little longer. She found several hits on Jake Baldwin, but nothing matched. One obit on a guy from Ohio who died a few months ago, but he didn't look anything like their Jake Baldwin, and he was too young, in his 40s. Their guy was easily in his 50s, and his driver's license confirmed it. Tiring of her fruitless search, Jolene finally went to bed well after midnight. She could sleep in if she wanted to the next day, but she had a feeling she would be up bright and early, searching again. Momma was right. If there was someone out there who knew him, they needed to be told that he was in their home, injured. He needed his family, if he had one.

In the morning, Jolene went through Jake's baggage, which consisted of a large, worn duffel. It looked as if he'd had it a long time. The first thing she noticed was that near the handle a series of light gray splotches ran the length of the material. It looked as if it had been bleached. Below the line, a larger circular stain revealed minute traces of something else, lettering or a design, but she couldn't figure out what it was. Inside, she found t-shirts, jeans, a pair of khakis, a couple of cotton shirts, and underwear and socks. It all fit in neatly and everything was folded precisely. She'd never seen anything so efficiently packed before, and certainly not in a duffel. She also found a small folio that contained a passport and a Social Security card. They matched the name on the driver's license, and the passport had the same address. It was recently issued and none of the pages had any stamps in them. However, she couldn't find anything that provided a contact. Very strange!

Jolene placed everything back into the duffel the way she found it, zipped it, and went back to Jake's bedside. He never once woke up while she went through his things. But when she sat in the squeaky rocking chair, his cheek twitched, and slowly, his eyes opened. He squinted at the light in the room.

"Is it too bright? I can close the blinds if ya want."

"No, it's fine." He turned his head carefully to glance out the window. A wide open field with trees on the horizon greeted him, the lush greens accented by drops of rain left behind from the night before.

"How're ya feelin'?"

"Like I'm on fire. My back... stings. And my head is pounding. I need something for that." He looked around at the night stand, hoping to see something there. "I've got some Percocet somewhere, just can't remember where I left it."

"I didn't find anything in your bag, and even if I did, you can't have it," she answered gruffly. "You have a head injury, so we can't give you anything stronger than aspirin. It's too dangerous."

"Well then, please, give me what you can."

Jolene felt sorry for him. She remembered how much she hurt once when she fell off a horse as it was jumping and she was about ten feet in the air. She broke her leg, and it was excruciating. After helping him sit up to take the aspirin, she helped him burrow into a pile of pillows and half sit up in bed.

"Does that help?" She smiled at him.

"Yeah. Thanks." He looked around the simply furnished room. "Where am I?"

"You're on our ranch. We're about ten miles away from Alberta, Texas."

He closed his eyes and swallowed. "Yeah, I remember that sign. Just before..."

"It's okay. Do you remember anything else? Like where you're from? Do you have anybody that we can contact?"

"No. Nobody to contact. I, uh, I just wander around the country. Looking for a place to settle down, that's all."

"I see." She swept his hair back from his forehead. "You feel cooler today. Maybe you're a fast healer." She smiled. Her hand went back to his hair and she combed through it with her fingers. "You've got nice hair, Jake. I don't know why you think you gotta color it."

Jake seemed to enjoy her touch, but at the mention of his coloring, he frowned. "Long story. It's just better that way."

Jolene nodded. "Well, if you're that set on it, maybe we can touch it up while you're here. Your roots are showing and along the sides here, you're gettin' gray."

"Thanks. I'd appreciate that."

"Jolene. My name's Jolene."

"Ah, Jolene." His eyelids grew heavy and he fought to keep them open, but it was a losing battle.

She stood as Madeline entered the room. "Looks like my shift is over, Jake. I need to run into town, so I'll go get some color to cover all that up, and if you're up to it maybe this afternoon I can take care of that for ya."

Jake nodded, wondering why Jolene was being so nice to him. He was too tired to think about it. Madeline fed him some soup, and afterwards he took a nap. While deep in dreams, he murmured in his sleep. His voice came out choked when he softly called her name. "Elsa. Elsa, baby!" He woke up, and Madeline was stroking his forehead, soothing him with soft sounds, like he imagined Mike's mom would do if she were there.

"Who's Elsa? Is she your wife?"

He kept the panic out of his voice as he answered. "Uhhh, no, just a friend."

"What's her last name? Where can we find her? Is she from Ohio too?"

Jake looked at her and lied. "I... I can't remember. I'm sorry, Madeline." The distressed look on her face made him sad. She was nice, and he didn't want to hurt her.

"Shh, it's okay, Jake. When your head gets better, you'll start to remember things again. Just sleep right now. That's what your body needs." She managed to soothe him back to slumber. As he drifted off, he remembered how good it felt with Elsa, and a new pain sliced through his heart. "I love you, Elsa," he mumbled.

Madeline sighed. Poor man! He's so lost! While he slept, she prayed that some day he would be found.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

A few days later, Jake was strong enough to dress himself in sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a borrowed bathrobe. He walked to the dining room table and sat in the chair Madeline had ready for him. "Where's Jolene?"

"She had to go back to work. She said she'd call every night and see how you're doin'." Madeline set a plate before him and a cup filled with steaming coffee. "Why don't you try to work on that? You need to get your strength back."

She was right. He needed to get himself back together, because the meeting in Topeka was coming up soon. Unless he already missed it. A sick feeling hit him in the gut and he leaned over his plate. When he stayed that way too long, he felt her hand on his back. The place where he'd been burned was healing nicely, and it didn't hurt any more when someone touched him.

"You okay, Jake?"

"Madeline, what day is it?"

"It's Thursday." She smiled and sat down across from him with a cup of coffee.

"No, no, the date. What's the date?"

"It's June 27th. Why?"

Jake shook his head. "Never mind." He still had four days. If his current state didn't improve soon, he'd never make it to the meeting. He took a sip of the coffee and forced down a bite of hash browns. They were good, but his stomach didn't seem to be quite ready for them yet. "My truck. How's my truck?"

"I'm afraid that old thing was totaled in the accident," Madeline replied. She reached out and touched his hand. "It's okay, Jake. Since it was our bull that was in the road, we're gonna take care of you."

"I don't understand." Jake looked up at her.

"When you're up to it, Daniel will take you into town and get you a new truck. Maybe somethin' a little more up to date." She shook her head in astonishment. "He had your old truck towed into Alberta, and the mechanic said he wasn't sure how it was even running yet."

Jake let out a soft chuckle. "I put a lot of love into it."

"I'm sorry, but there was just no savin' that baby."

He nodded, resigned to the fact that the beater was gone. It was just as well. Changing vehicles now and then would help keep the CIA off his trail. If only Mike could figure out how to clear our names. Then we could all go home and things might go back to the way they were. Except there'd be no Anson to hassle us. Just the thought of seeing Elsa's beautiful face again caused his throat to constrict.

"Come on, Jake, try to eat! You're gettin' so thin!"

"Yes, Mom." Jake teased and dug his fork into the scrambled eggs flecked with green pepper and onion. It reminded him of home and his own mother's cooking, although Madeline was young enough that she could have been his wife. She looked nothing like his ex, although, he hadn't seen her in years. Who knew what she looked like now? For a brief second, he considered the idea of trying to locate her. The last he heard from Mac, she lived in Texas somewhere. Maybe that's why he headed this way to begin with, that a subconscious part of him wanted to find Amanda. It was crazy, because he didn't love her. If he did locate her, he would then be putting her life in danger as well. No, he couldn't do that, especially not after all this time with no contact.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Jake sighed, and his whole body seemed to deflate from the effort. "You don't wanna know, Madeline." He could never bring himself to call her Maddie, because all the old memories of home would come rushing back and choke him up again. "It's better for me to just keep it inside."

"Yes, like so many other things. I heard you at night when I watched over you. I couldn't understand most of what you said, but now and then something lucid came out." Her eyes crinkled at the alarm in his. "Relax, I couldn't make heads or tails out of any of it. I just assumed it was stuff you saw when you served."

"When I served?"

"Jolene did some digging on the origin of your tattoo. You were in the SEALs. That couldn't have been an easy life."

"No, it wasn't." He silently cursed that tattoo. He'd gotten it after a particularly hairy mission, when still pumped up from their success he and his team went out and got the same design. They were careful to get something that didn't scream Navy SEAL, but apparently, thanks to the internet, it wasn't hard to figure out. Now he regretted it with a vengeance, because some day it might be the one thing that got him into trouble and there'd be no SEAL team to rescue him.

Knowing how little time there was left before he had to make the meeting with his friends, Jake forced himself to eat and hoped that by getting his strength back, he would be fit enough to leave on Sunday.

"Madeline?"

"Yes?" She turned from the sink and smiled at the progress he made on his plate.

"Do you mind if I use your computer?"

"Go right ahead... as long as you clean that plate, Mister!"

Jake chuckled. "You drive a hard bargain." He looked up at her and realized she wasn't kidding, so he dug in and finished everything. A slightly unsettled stomach was a small price to pay for computer access.

He needed to figure out how far Topeka was, and how to get there. Jake was careful. Once he found the route, he memorized it and stowed it away in his head. He wiped the history and made sure there was absolutely no trace of what sites he used. Then he retreated to his room to rest and prepare himself for the trip.

Madeline observed enough of Jake's actions and heard enough of his nightmares to wonder about him. Was he on the run from the law? While he used her computer, she called a friend at the sheriff's office and asked her to do a check on Jake Baldwin. She gave her the number from his driver's license, and her friend was able to pull it up.

"I'm sorry, Maddie, this guy has a squeaky clean record. Not even a traffic ticket."

"Thanks. Is there any way I can find out anything else about him?"

"I have some connections. You want me to seriously pursue this? Why? Do you think he's trouble?"

"Honestly, I don't know what to think," Madeline replied. "Right now, he's a sick man trying to get well. He's very secretive. He seems to be afraid of something, and he's very eager to leave. I just wanna help him if I can."

"Okay, I'll let you know what I find."

After a couple days spent resting and eating three squares, Jake seemed to be doing better. Saturday morning after breakfast he went outside and sat in the shade at the back of the house, watching the horses romp around the pen. It was a hot one again, but he protected himself with the dark blue ball cap that someone found in the cab of his truck. Madeline looked out the kitchen window in an effort to keep an eye on him and make sure he was doing okay. She couldn't help but feel like a mother protecting her child. She got that way with people who needed help. And like a mother bird watching her babies take to flight, she observed as Jake stood and walked across the yard to the fence. He held out his hand, and Rafael, a white stallion, came up to nuzzle his fingers. He grinned and moved to caress the horse's snout and scratch his head.

"If you're thinkin' of ridin', he's the last one you wanna try," Billy Ray interrupted the sweet moment with his nasally twang. "Rafael's the wildest one in the bunch."

"If it were under better circumstances, I would take that as a challenge, but today, I'm just happy to hang out with the horses." Jake ran his hand along Rafael's neck and untangled his mane.

"You're lookin' better, Mister."

"Thanks. I'm starting to feel like myself again." Or, at least as much as I can, considering I'm not really myself right now! Jake stopped combing Rafael's mane with his fingers, turned to Billy Ray and asked, "Where's your dad?"

"He's in the barn. Why?"

"He's supposed to take me into town when I'm ready to pick out a new truck. I'm ready. I need to get out of here soon, and there's no way I'm going to do that without transportation."

Billy Ray nodded. "Gotcha. Well, come on, I'll show ya where he is."

The barn was large, and considering the number of pens, trucks, and trailers, Jake figured that this was a big ranch. The family didn't live like it was Southfork, but Daniel was definitely not hurting for cash. His host came out of a stall and focused on Jake and Billy Ray. He grinned at him.

"You're looking much better today, Jake!"

"Thanks. I... look, I don't want to knock your hospitality or anything, but I really need to get back on the road. I'd like to go into town, if you have time today, and get a truck."

"How about this afternoon?"

"That's fine. Thanks, Daniel." He glanced around. "Is there anything I can do to repay you for everything you've done?"

"Heck no! It was our steer that caused your accident, and well, with you bein' a vet'ran and all, we can't take anythin' from you, Jake! We owe you for protectin' our country!"

Jake blushed at the praise and dipped his head in self-consciousness. "Yeah, well, I was just doing what I signed up for."

"Thank you just the same. There are times when I feel ashamed that I didn't serve."

"You're welcome, and you know what? It's not for everybody, so don't feel bad."

Daniel nodded and cleared his throat. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I wanna finish up in here. Then we can go."

Jake felt like he'd somehow touched a nerve. Wordlessly, he nodded and left the barn.

Inside the house, Madeline was on the phone with her friend again. "Did you find anything?"

"When you mentioned he was in the Navy, I used that information and found one sailor named Jake Baldwin, but he's dead. Unless the records are sealed, there's nothing regarding your guy in the government records."

"Hmmm. He was a SEAL, would that make any difference?"

"It sure would! Those guys do classified stuff all the time, so his entire career could be under lock and key. Sorry, Maddie, I tried."

"That's okay."

"I was hoping to find something that would ease your mind. At least he wasn't in any of the FBI files!" She paused. "Then again, if I could get some fingerprints, I could do a more thorough search."

"No, that's okay. I've already taken too much of your work time. Oh, I have to go. He's coming!"

"Hey, maybe I can come around some time and meet him."

Madeline heard the smile in her friend's voice. "We'll see, Mina. Talk to you later. Bye, hon!" She hung up just as Jake entered the house and pulled off his cap.

The sunlight streaming into the kitchen caused highlights to flare off the strands of his hair, and she realized that he looked different than when he first arrived. When Jolene colored his hair, she had to use a different shade because he didn't know what he'd used before. This one looked more natural on him. It was darker, less red. And the fact that he was stronger and healthier helped. She sensed that he was leaving soon, and the mystery of who he was would go with him.

"Hi, Madeline. Is something wrong?"

Drat! Why can't I ever keep my thoughts from showing on my face? "Nothin' you need to concern yourself over. I was wondering, if there's anythin' you need from the store? I was gonna make a run into town."

"No, I'm good. Thanks for asking, though." He paused. "Maybe you could wait until later? Daniel said we'd go to town and pick out a truck this afternoon. Then I could drive the truck back here and y'all could go shopping."

She smiled at how he slipped into a little drawl. "That's a great idea!"

That afternoon the three got into Daniel's truck and went northwest to the next town. Alberta was large enough to have a small shopping center, as well as several car and truck dealerships. While Madeline went to the mall, the men worked a deal on a slightly used, grayish tan pickup. Once they came to an agreement, Daniel signed the check and Jake signed the papers. A natural lefty, he used his right hand, which only served to conceal his real identity even more. There was no way anyone could look at that paperwork and figure out that Jake Baldwin, or Sam Axe for that matter, signed it. He felt guilty taking such an expensive vehicle, but Daniel insisted and wouldn't even let him set foot in the area where the older used models sat.

"If you're gonna be doin' a lot of travelin', Jake, you need a good truck. This one'll get you some good mileage, and it won't break down. Just be careful out on those roads. We'll be prayin' for you to stay safe."

"Thanks, Daniel." If he only knew how much that was appreciated! Jake picked up the keys and papers and walked out to where the shiny truck sat. It had a temporary tag on the back, but he would be long gone before the permanent ones arrived at Daniel's ranch. This would make it easier for him when he moved on, but eventually he would have to get plates. He'd worry about that when the time came.

That night, Madeline made a special supper for Jake because he planned to be on the road at daybreak. The morning routine would just be starting, so there was no time for goodbyes. Jake preferred it that way, because he had no business getting close to these people, and now he had to make a clean break. Unless the red flag over his head disappeared, there was little to no chance that he'd ever see them again. That was the part about being a spy that he really hated, not getting close to people. It was a very lonely existence. He never understood how Michael could do it as well as he did for so many years.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

** "**Welcome to Topeka." He'd never been so happy to see a sign like that before. Sam whistled a little tune through his teeth, tapped his hand on the steering wheel in time to the music on the radio, and kept his eyes peeled for his exit. Then he had to find an Irish pub on 8th. An Irish pub in the middle of Kansas! Sure enough, there it is. Who'd ever think of such a thing? He parked his truck in back and wondered if any of the few cars in the lot belonged to Mike and Fi. Maybe they didn't make it. How long should I wait? Please God, let them be here! I'd hate to have come all this way for nothing.

He entered through a side door and let his eyes adjust to the dimness. He heard a soft thud and a shout. A small group at the bar played a dice game. A couple sat at a table near the front windows. It wasn't Michael and Fiona. Sam quickly scanned the rest of the establishment, and he was just about ready to give up when he heard a distinctive accent delivered by a soft female voice.

"Aye, ye almost beat me there, Sean!"

Sam turned to the right and saw two people standing behind a line on the wood floor. The woman with long red hair, longer than he remembered it, aimed for the dart board. The man who stood at an angle that showed his profile had auburn hair and familiar blue eyes, and he drank from a short glass.

Sam stepped up until he was only a couple of feet away and spoke softly. "'Tis a fine day to be playin' among the green," he said with the correct inflection. It was their signal, and at the sound of his voice, Michael and Fiona turned to him.

"My, my, look at ya! Jacob, ya've gotten scrawny," Fiona remarked with a twinkle in her eye as she gave Sam a hug.

"You've gotten... complicated." Sam felt the slight bump when she pressed close. As he pulled back, he asked, "How far along are you?"

"Almost four months." She looked at Michael and smiled.

"Fi, don't tell me..."

"It's his," Fiona responded softly.

"When..." Sam turned to Michael with a puzzled expression on his face. "Are you happy about this?"

Michael shrugged. He spoke softly. "Not much we can do now, Sam. It just happened, and we'll have to deal with the consequences later."

"Hopefully we won't be on the run anymore by the time the kid is born," Sam muttered. He felt the presence of someone behind him and he turned and smiled at the server.

"Was this who you were waiting for?"

"Yes, we're all here now," Michael answered in a brogue.

Interestingly enough, the server didn't look at all Irish and she didn't talk as if she were. It kind of ruined the ambiance, but Sam didn't come here for atmosphere. It was a quiet place in the middle of the day where he could meet with his friends, if only for a little while. She led them to a table near the dartboards where it was cool, dim, and quiet. After giving them menus she announced the specials and then hurried off to the bar to help another customer.

"Have you been taking care of yourself, Sam?" Michael looked at him. "Like Fi said, you look like you've lost weight."

"Yeah, but don't worry, I'm fine." He gave them a brief rundown of what happened in his travels. They all had four months of catching up to do. "So what about you guys? When we separated, you were apart. Weren't you?" He recalled pulling away from the loft and seeing the two of them in his rear view mirror with separate vehicles, the Charger abandoned for the time being.

"We were separate," Michael answered and a smile grew on his face. "But Fi and I managed to cross paths outside of Macon, Georgia. Her car broke down, and I just picked her up."

"Yea, we figured 'twas a sign that we were supposed to stay together," Fiona added with a smile of her own. "Twasn't long after that, I discovered that I was havin' the wee one."

Michael's brow furrowed as he addressed him. "I'm sorry, Sam, that you've had to fend for yourself all this time."

"No, Mike, it's okay. Yeah, it's been lonely, but knowing you guys are safe, that's the important thing." He stopped talking when he sensed the server coming back. After they ordered and she went away, they continued their conversation. "What are your plans now?"

"Not sure. I got a tip on some work in Iowa. We may go there."

"Just as long as we're somewhere safe when the baby comes," Fiona said.

"Oregon."

Michael raised his eyebrow at Sam. "Oregon?"

"Yeah, I hear it's remote in some places, but they have big cities, too. You could get lost in Portland somewhere until Fi has the baby, and then sneak off into the woods." He paused. "That's where I'm heading. I thought I'd go to California first, look up a couple of buddies who are still in intelligence, but they're guys I can trust to keep their mouths shut."

"What would you want them to do?"

"Find out what the CIA is up to." He cocked a grin. "They have the ability to do it, Mike. And maybe we can have them funnel in some info that'll clear us."

"Such as..."

"You're the guy with the intel, Mike. You got something you want me to pass along, I'll do it."

Michael leaned forward, his voice low and raspy. "No, Sam, it's too dangerous!"

Sam wouldn't back down. He leaned in close and replied, "Too dangerous for you with a family, but me, I've got nobody to be accountable to. I'm willing to take the risk if it gets us back home."

"What about Elsa?"

Sam frowned. "She's not part of the equation right now."

Laying a hand on Sam's shoulder, Michael wordlessly told him that he understood how his friend felt. After all, he had to leave Fiona back in Ireland without warning, and it took years for them to reunite and get past the hurt his abandonment caused. For Sam to pretend that Elsa didn't matter, that spoke volumes to him because he knew she mattered very much and he would do anything to protect her from the fallout of their actions.

"Michael," Fiona whispered and put her hand over his. "It's risky, yes, but like Sam says, if there's a chance that we can be cleared and return to Miami, don't you want to take it?" She blinked, tears filling up her eyes. She pulled back and swiped at them. "I'm sorry, I've been getting like this a lot lately."

"I understand." Sam gave her a smile. "You haven't had any morning sickness or anything, have you?"

"Thankfully, no!"

"Whew, good. That would have made things worse, I'm sure!" He took a sip of the iced tea he ordered. "So, what happened after you two hitched up? Besides the, um..." He made a motion with his hand.

Fiona grinned. "Michael and I, after meeting up in Macon, ditched my car and we kept going north. We were all the way up to Buffalo, weren't we?"

"Yeah, but Fi didn't like the idea of staying there when it got colder, so we're trying to find a happy medium. And Sam, I'm sorry about this, but... we got married in Buffalo."

"Hey, nothing to be sorry for! Congratulations, you two!"

"Thanks. Hey,what have you been doing for money?" As he spoke, Michael leaned closer to Fiona, put his arm around her shoulders, and rubbed her arm. It made Sam glad to see such behavior from his friend, as if he'd gotten used to just giving and receiving love without calculating whether it was right or not.

"I find a mechanic job here and there, or some home improvement project that a homeowner can't finish," he replied. "The last job I worked to pay off some major repairs to my truck, and when I decided I had to blow town, my boss gave me a nice chunk of cash. But I haven't had to use it yet, because I spent the last week laid up on that ranch."

"You were lucky you weren't killed in the accident," Fiona exclaimed.

"Yeah." Sam let out a long breath, then looked up at his friends. "You know, that's the thing that scares me the most about this running business. What if something happens to one of us and the others never find out?"

"That's why we have these meeting points," Michael replied. "Next, we'll meet in Fort Collins, Colorado in four months. If, say, something happened to you in that time and you didn't show up, if you can give us a rough estimate now of where you're going, we can backtrack and maybe find you or determine what happened."

"I see. But if I'm still able to communicate, I could leave a message at the location where we intend to meet again." Sam nodded. "It's not completely safe, but I suppose it's the best we can do under the circumstances."

"Agreed."

"Well, I know there's a little diner in Fort Collins. I had a friend in the service who was from there and said it was the best little place in town for biscuits. It's called the Mountain View Diner, near downtown."

"Okay, that's where we'll meet," Michael said.

"After that, I think you guys better head to Oregon and dig in until Fi gives birth." Sam paused and looked around. The other patrons were on the opposite end of the bar. "Maybe we can all meet up in Portland and disappear together."

"I'd like that," Fiona said before Michael could respond. She gave him a pleading smile. "Think about it, Michael. That would be over nine months on the run. If we make it that far, the CIA will probably have given up on finding us."

"I wouldn't count on it," Michael said. "However, we could at least give it a try. But I'm not going to contact my mom and have her come out. That's a sure-fire way to ruin our cover. I love my mom, but you know it's true, Fi."

Fiona closed her mouth, and her lips formed a pout. "We'll just have to figure out a way to send her pictures of her grandchild, then."

The time seemed to fly as the three talked while they ate. Soon their meals were finished and it was time to part again. An intense stab of loneliness and sorrow hit Sam. Spending time with Michael and Fiona was so good. He didn't want it to end, because it took him back to what used to be, instead of reminding him of what was now. He'd almost forgotten that he was supposed to be on the run.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys in four months. That'll be November 1st, right? Fort Collins, at the Mountain View Diner, at one. In the meantime, I'm heading west through New Mexico, Arizona, and into Cali. See if I can get a hold of my friends."

"We're going to Iowa, and eventually get over to Colorado in time to meet up again," Michael replied. "Good luck, Sam."

"Same to you, Mike." He grinned. "Or should I say, Sean and Shannon?"

"Yes, see you soon... Jake." They shook hands, hugged, and with a sigh of regret, Sam walked toward his truck. He got in and saw that Michael and Fiona stopped beside the little crossover. With one more wave, he was out of the parking lot and heading back to the freeway.

As he drove, an idea formed in his head. What if I send Elsa a letter from a post office somewhere, just to let her know I'm okay? No return address, and by the time anyone tries to trace me through the postmark, I'll be long gone. Yeah, that would work! He came up to the freeway and saw a sign that directed him south, which is where he intended to go. Almost 300 miles, and he would be in Oklahoma City. From there, he could go several different directions, so it seemed a logical place to put his plan in motion.

It was dark when he pulled into the motel parking lot. He stopped at a dollar store along the way to pick up some stationery, and after he checked into his room, he sat at the desk and wrote the letter.

_My dearest Elsa,_

_ I love you and miss you so much, I can't come up with the words to tell you how bad it hurts to have left you the way I did. You know that Mike, Fi, Jesse, and I are in trouble with the CIA because of what we did to Anson. I can't explain it in a letter, and I don't want to, because I'm afraid this may never even reach you. If it does, just know that I regret having to leave you, and if there had been any way at all to make it work, I would have taken you with me._

_ I promise that if I find a way, I will either come back to you, or give you the means to find me. You remember that story I told you, the one about my time in East Germany? If not, look for it. You know where it is, and there you'll find a key to what I'm saying._

_ There are mountains and valleys to cross, deserts and rivers to ford, but the miles between us will be as nothing when I am with you again. Take care, my love, and in confidence believe that I will see you again in a few months._

_ Love, Sammy_

At the bottom of the letter he wrote some sentences that, to anyone reading the letter who shouldn't have been, appeared to be either nonsense or something extremely personal. Sam counted on Elsa finding his code book and using it to decipher his message that began with the last paragraph and ended on the last line of the page. If she figured it out, he knew that in November he would see her in Fort Collins. If not... he didn't even want to think about it.

The next morning he found the nearest post office, bought a stamp, and sent the letter. As he pushed it through the slot, he almost couldn't let it go. He had cold feet. Not because of his feelings for Elsa: he was worried that someone would intercept the letter, discover what he wrote, and somehow he would be captured. He released it from his fingertips. He loved her so deeply, it was worth the risk.

Sam used to think that prayers in foxholes were a bad battle plan, but over the past few months, he resorted to them now and again. Sometimes they even worked, enough that he decided it wouldn't hurt to send up a prayer and hope for the best. God, please let this letter get to Elsa, and help her to decipher it. I desperately need to see her again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Oklahoma City to Los Angeles - approximately 1,330 miles, and the web site estimated that it would take almost 20 hours to get there. He was driving alone, still recovering from his injuries, so if he made 400 miles a day he'd be lucky. He didn't want to waste any time, but he really had no choice. It was the slow way or no way. Sam covered his tracks on the library computer, logged off, and walked out into the blazing heat. It didn't help that the entire trip would be spent going through some of the hottest parts of the country. No sense complaining about it, just hit the road. He bought a cooler that fit on the floorboard on the passenger side of the truck cab, filled it with ice and drinks, and he was ready to go.

He found an oldies station on the radio and blasted it when he felt tired, letting the classics spur him on when he was ready to quit for the day. By the time he reached Santa Rosa, New Mexico, Sam felt as if he'd run the whole way. He found a motel, grabbed a sandwich at a nearby fast food place, and washed it down with a soda from the gas station as he watched the evening news. He tried not to pay attention to the news over the past few months, afraid he'd see his picture on it along with a report on a big manhunt. The station only had things of local interest, and he wasn't in it, so he was happy.

"Police are looking for Theresa Ramirez, 29, of nearby Vlachos. She's wanted in connection with the disappearance of her husband Octavio Ramirez, the city manager." He flipped to another station.

"Now on to the weather."

"Tomorrow will be another scorcher folks, with temperatures in the low 100s..."

The sound of gunfire woke Sam from a deep sleep, and his head came up from the table. His eyes focused on the television that was on, tuned to a black and white Western. Mumbling, he scrambled for the remote, turned it off, and dragged himself out of the chair. Then he dropped onto the bed stomach first and fell asleep. When he awoke again, he felt refreshed and ready to take on the day. After a shower and a change of clothes, he packed up and headed for the office to check out.

"How was your stay, Sir," the woman behind the desk asked.

"Slept good. Almost too good," he replied with a wink. He glanced at the clock on the wall and checked it against his watch. "Crap," he muttered. "Is it really almost 10 a.m.?"

"Yes, Sir!" She handed him his change. "Have a safe trip, and if you're ever in the area again, please consider staying with us."

"Thanks, I will." He gave her a smile and left the office. He approached the truck, unlocked the door, and threw his bag onto the passenger seat.

"Ow!"

In a fraction of a second, Sam had his gun out and pointed at the source of the sound. "Put your hands up where I can see them. Now!"

The duffel bag rolled off onto the cooler as the figure shifted and put her hands up in the air.

"Now, sit up."

It was a woman, a nice looking one at that. But he wasn't about to let a pretty face convince him to put down his guard. Unlike him, it looked like she didn't sleep well at all the night before, if the circles under her eyes were any indication. If she camped out in his truck, he could imagine that had something to do with it.

"Please, don't shoot me. I was just looking for a place to spend the night."

"That's why we're all here at the motel, lady."

"I didn't have money for the motel." She looked down at him and her green eyes sparkled with unshed tears. The wind whipped a lock of her blonde hair into her face, and she blew it out of the way. Her hands were still up in the air.

Sam kept his gun up, but he studied her. In the shade of the cab, he thought he saw a bruise on her cheek. A scar ran alongside her right eye, and her tank top exposed where another bruise flowered on the underside of her upper arm. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Who are you, and why'd you decide my truck was the best place to spend the night?"

"My name is Theresa."

Sam's eyes widened. "Theresa Ramirez, that chick from the news?"

Her eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously. "No! No, that's not me! Really!" She jutted her chin at her arm. "This is why I spent the night in your truck. My husband did this, and he's looking for me." Her eyes spilled, and she dropped her hands to hide the tears. "Please, Mister, I need help! He wants to kill me!"

Sam didn't need complications like this. Getting involved in other peoples' messes would only pose a greater risk for himself and get them tangled in his own situation. He stood by helplessly as she sobbed, her entire body shaking on the seat. He looked around. Good, she hadn't attracted any attention yet. But if he didn't do something, she would. And he'd be standing there with a gun out in the open looking awfully guilty of something. With a grumble, he put the safety back on, stuffed the gun into his waist band, and placed a hand lightly on her knee. He didn't expect her to screech and kick at him as she scooted back toward the driver's side.

"Hey, sister, watch what you're doin'!" He jumped back just out of range of her feet. "If you want my help, you're gonna have to calm down. I won't hurt you."

"I-I'm sorry. It was an instinctive reaction." She sniffled and moved forward to sit on the edge of the seat, her feet dangling down to the running board. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine," Sam replied softly. "Theresa, I don't know what you want me to do. Is there some kind of women's shelter you can go to? I'll take you there..."

"No, I have to get out of here, out of New Mexico."

"Why?"

She glanced around, her gaze flitting about and not lighting on anything until she came back to his face. "Please, I'm scared! My sister lives in LA. If I could just get to her..."

"Okay, okay, settle down." Sam held out a hand as a silent signal to calm herself. "I'm going to LA." He hesitated, and hoped he wasn't making a big mistake. "I'll, uh, I'll get you there, Theresa."

"You will?" Her eyes lit up along with a wide smile that showed she was missing a molar along the right side of her face.

"Yeah, I'll help you get there." He held out his hand. "The name's Jake. Jake Baldwin."

"Theresa Sillman." She took his hand and shook it. "Thank you, Jake."

"You're welcome. Now, just throw my bag back there between the seat and the back of the cab, and maybe we can situate that cooler between us on the seat, and then you'll have plenty of room."

Theresa stowed his bag, and together they figured out how to make the cooler work on the seat. Shifting would be a little difficult, but once he was on the freeway, it didn't matter.

"We'll fill up on gas and restock the cooler before we go," Jake said as he started up the truck. He watched Theresa put on her seat belt, and once she was secured, he drove them to a gas station close to the freeway. "I'll fill 'er up, and you go get some more ice, water, and sodas, okay?" He was taking a chance giving her a twenty, but if she came back with everything he asked for and change, he figured she was trustworthy enough to go the long haul.

"What do you like?"

"Iced tea, Dr. Pepper."

"Alright, I'll be right back." Theresa smiled like a giddy kid and hurried to the shelter of the mini-mart.

By the time Jake finished filling up the tank and going inside to pay, Theresa stood at the counter with her purchases in a plastic bag. He paid cash for the gas and took the change and the bag of ice from her, then led the way back to the truck.

"I can do this. You clean the windshield or something," Theresa said as she carefully dumped the water and remaining ice out onto the concrete island.

"Yes, ma'am." He squeegeed the windshield and kept an eye on her the entire time. He was impressed by how she packed all the plastic bottles in and dumped the ice around them. When she was finished, he hefted the cooler up onto the seat. "Okay, let's get going."

Theresa trotted to the passenger side, her eyes scanning the area around them. She got inside, slammed the door, and put on her seat belt. "Yes, let's get moving. I want to be out of here as soon as possible." Her voice shook. "I hope I never have to see this town again!"

"Can you drive a stick?"

"Yes."

"Good. I might have you drive later if I need a break. That way we don't have to stop overnight anywhere, and I can get you to LA as soon as possible." Jake started up the truck and got them on the street that led to the freeway. He made it a few blocks and the interchange was in sight. A light at an intersection before it turned red, and he stopped. Jake glanced over at Theresa, and he noticed her studying the reflection in the side mirror. "Theresa, what's wrong?"

"It's him. My husband," she whispered.

"Oh, great," Jake muttered. In his side mirror he saw the driver get out of the car stopped behind his truck. Another guy got out on his side, and two more on the passenger side. They all carried automatic guns and rifles. "Oh crap. Hang on, Terri." Jake stepped on the gas and the clutch, and Theresa screeched as they shot through the intersection, barely missing a car with the right of way.

The good old boys scurried back to the car, a tricked up 70's royal blue Nova, and the driver ran the red light to go after them. Somehow, the car made it through safely. The passengers hung out the windows, shooting at the truck, attempting to get him to stop. But Jake knew evasive driving techniques, so he swerved and sped up, and generally made the truck untouchable. It wasn't as easy as driving a car, but he was glad for the fact that the truck was only a few years old. It had the chops to do what he wanted it to do, and in no time he turned the wheel and felt the tires grip the road as the truck sped onto the onramp. The Nova followed, but as both vehicles got on the freeway, a sheriff's deputy came up on the left. The shooters ducked inside the Nova, too late. The deputy saw them and was on his radio as he pulled back. His bar lights went on, and he settled in behind the Nova.

Jake smiled and stayed at the speed limit. The Nova crept closer to his bumper, but the deputy put on his siren, warning the driver to pull over. The car was so close he couldn't see the reactions of the people inside, but then the distance between them lengthened and he saw them shouting at each other and trying to stash their weapons. He chuckled.

Theresa looked behind them, her mouth agape. At first she was speechless. Then she slowly turned to him and asked, "How... how'd you learn to drive like that?" She pulled a lock of her short hair behind her ear and stared at him.

"You don't wanna know," Jake replied with a smirk.

"I thought that we were dead. If they didn't shoot us, I thought we'd crash."

"No, I crashed once last month. I don't need to do that again." His eyes slid sideways and he almost laughed at her reaction.

"What? Are you an insane driver or something?" Her head jerked around, looking for a way to escape, but they were going the speed limit. Jumping out was not an option, not if she wanted to live.

"No, I was driving a really old pickup on a country road, and this steer was in my lane. I tried to evade it, but my truck wasn't equal to my driving skills."

"Oh, I bet the cops loved that explanation," Theresa said, still looking wild eyed at him.

"Actually, they never interviewed me about the accident. Never mind. The point is, you're safe with me behind the wheel." He glanced at her with a warm expression. "Anybody else might have crashed back there. Trust me."

"I have a hard time doing that, considering that you're of the same species as my husband."

"Well, you must have some room for trust. Otherwise you wouldn't have accepted a ride from me to begin with."

Theresa folded her arms across her chest. "You have a point."

Jake laughed. "Relax. If you could talk to my friends, they'd tell you I'm an honorable guy."

"Where are they? LA?"

He sighed and kept his attention on the road ahead. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Hmm. So, where did you learn how to drive like that? I've only ever seen cops do those kinds of fancy moves."

"In the military. But..."

"Oh, let me guess." Theresa held up a hand and gave him a smile. "You don't wanna talk about it." He nodded and she smirked. "It's going to be a long trip."

"What kind of music do you like?"

"Anything between the 60's and 80's."

"Alrighty, then." Jake punched the volume button and turned on the radio, found a station that had something they both liked, and filled the cabin with music. He was intrigued by Theresa. She was running from a psycho husband and his homies, a life of abuse, and probably an environment where drug deals and usage were daily occurrences. She didn't look like a user, though. No needle tracks or signs of cocaine use. He'd have to keep an eye on her and be about as wary about her as she was him.

As the miles passed beneath the truck tires, Theresa grew more at ease in the cabin. Her body relaxed, her arms uncrossed, and she grabbed a soda from the cooler. "Want anything?"

"Sure. Surprise me." He smiled at her.

She pulled out a Dr. Pepper and twisted off the cap for him.

"Thanks!" He took a good swig and set the bottle in the cup holder. She held onto her water and rubbed it against her forehead. "Are you warm?"

"No. I just have a little headache, that's all." She stared out the window watching the scenery go by, one arm up on the window frame, and her toe tapping to the music. He heard her soft voice singing along with the song.

"You don't have to keep quiet on my account," he said with an amused expression. "Go ahead, belt it out!"

Theresa's eyes scrunched up as she laughed, and for a moment he saw what she may have looked like before things got so messed up in her life. But his staring at her caused her to shut down, and she stopped mumbling the words and turned back to the window. Jake could have kicked himself. But then, he didn't know she would be so self-conscious.

Just barely over the music, he said, "I couldn't hear much, but it sounded like you have a beautiful voice."

She swallowed. "Thanks."

Because he got such a late start and had the distraction of Theresa's husband, Jake didn't make it was far as he would have liked. They were at least seventy miles from Flagstaff when they stopped for dinner. Jake paid for her meal, despite her protests.

"You can pay me back by driving when I get tired. How about that?" He flashed a smile with a dimple, and was pleased when she nodded in agreement. "Great. Go ahead, order what you want but keep it cheap." He chuckled. "Just kidding!"

Yeah, that was real smooth! What is wrong with you? Did you lose your Sam Axe charm along with the rest of your identity when you turned into Jake? Get a grip, and be yourself! He thought of Elsa, and he glanced at his watch. By now, if they'd been together, they would have been out to some fancy restaurant or maybe some little hole in the wall noodle joint. He never knew what Elsa would be in the mood for, and that was one of the things he loved about her. When he was with her, there was never a dull moment. He hoped that she wasn't at home crying over him, or worse yet, that she'd already found someone else. He'd never given that a thought before. Now that he had, he wished he'd never sent that letter. It was probably the smart thing for her to do, to move on, but his heart broke at the idea.

"Jake?"

"Huh?" He looked up from his plate and blinked.

"Are you okay? You look really upset about something." Theresa sat back in the booth, hugging herself, and Jake looked into her eyes. He saw fear in them.

He forced himself to soften his expression. "It's okay, Terri. I was just thinking about someone."

"Someone you love?" She leaned forward, her forearms on the table and her meal forgotten.

Jake mirrored her posture. "Yeah. I love her very much, and I don't know when I'll get to see her again. Maybe never."

"I'm sorry." Theresa bit her bottom lip. "You're a nice guy, you should go back to her. Whatever caused you two to part, can't it be fixed?" She looked at him with hope in her eyes.

"Not yet." He shook his head. "I don't know if it'll ever be resolved."

"I've heard that couples are supposed to talk about disagreements..."

"It wasn't that. It's something else that I can't tell you about." Jake hung his head. "It's not that I don't trust you." He looked up at her. "It would be dangerous. I had to leave her, to keep her safe."

"Wow, that's quite a sacrifice. I've never had a love like that before."

He swallowed hard, keeping the emotions from rising to the surface. "Neither did I, until I met her."

Jake paid the bill and they were on the road again. What he said left Theresa quiet and contemplative. He should have kept his mouth shut. It sounded like he was bragging, not thinking about the kind of life she must have had with Warren, her husband. After the sun went down, he started running out of gas, both figuratively and in reality. He pulled into a gas station and filled up the tank, and then Theresa took the wheel. He belted in and relaxed on his side of the cab until he dozed. She kept the music low. He could almost hear her breathing, and now and then she hummed along or mumbled the words to a song. He surprised himself when he started singing along. The truck swerved a little, causing his eyes to fly open and straighten his body from its slumped position.

"What happened?"

"You! You were singing!" She glanced at him. "You scared me, that's all. I wasn't expecting that."

"Sorry. Was I that bad?"

She giggled. "Actually, it wasn't too terrible. Stick to a song in a lower key and you'll be fine."

"You know about that kind of stuff, huh?"

Theresa shrugged. "I took lessons long ago, before I met Warren. I wanted to be a singer."

"Well, I think you should go for it when you get to LA."

She flashed him a genuine smile that he saw in the glow from the dashboard. "Thanks, I appreciate the vote of confidence. Amanda's always been telling me that I should pursue it." She paused and let out a breath. "No matter how crappy her own life went, she was always encouraging me. I know I disappointed her by marrying Warren. Probably reminded her of her own mistake marrying that Navy guy who just up and left her."

"Navy guy?"

"Yeah, his name was Sam. Sam Axe. I mean, what kind of a name is that? Jeez, I think it was fake. I told her I thought it was, and that if I was right, maybe they weren't really married."

Jake was speechless. Holy crap, what were the odds of running into Amanda's sister? Only to find out she obviously hates my guts for what I did to Amanda! He was glad for the darkness, because no doubt the blood drained from his face when she revealed her identity. He pressed himself into the seat back, put his head against the rest, and swallowed away the sick feeling that overtook him.

"Hey, Jake. You're awfully quiet there."

"Sorry. I was just thinking. Maybe the guy had a good reason for leaving. Maybe he had to work, like go overseas? After all, if he was in the Navy, he probably had to go fight a war or something."

"The least he could have done was say goodbye in person. A note just doesn't cut it."

Jake leaned back in his seat and ran a hand over his face. He had a feeling that his trip to LA wasn't going to be exactly what he hoped it would be.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It was late afternoon by the time Jake drove them into the tangle of freeways that wound through Los Angeles. Theresa gave him directions to Amanda's house, not an apartment, which surprised him. If she'd been living alone all these years, he wondered how she could afford a home in LA.

"There it is, Jake! Over on the right, the white house with the aqua shutters."

"Okay." He took his foot off the gas and downshifted, a sense of dread churning in his stomach. Small, older stucco homes lined both sides of the street, and they all looked the same except for differences in color. Two cars were parked in the short driveway, forcing him to stop along the curb. He put the truck into park and let it idle, then turned to her with a smile. "Theresa, it was nice riding with you."

"And you, even if you were kind of quiet. I would have liked to get to know you a little bit."

"Why? We'll probably never see each other again." God willing, we won't, because if I see you, I might see her!

Theresa shrugged. "Maybe not, but... Hey, why don't you come in for a minute and meet Amanda? I think she'd wanna meet the guy who rescued her sister from that loser."

Jake chuckled. "Thanks, but no. I really should be moving on." He looked beyond the window, and suddenly the smile wiped off his face.

Theresa, noting where his gaze aimed, turned around. "Manda! Oh my god, I'm so glad to see you!" She opened the door while Amanda pulled on the handle, and they tumbled into each other's arms, hugging and crying. Jake watched, feeling like an unwanted voyeur, wishing he could make a quick break for it, but they were within clearance of the door. He'd have to wait it out, hope Amanda didn't recognize him, and then escape as soon as he could.

"Theresa, I'm so glad you came here! Warren could have killed you," Amanda cried as she still held onto her little sister. With one arm around her, she turned to the cab and looked in at the stranger watching them. She let her arm slide down Theresa's back as she came forward, because the shadows prevented her from getting a good look at her sister's guardian angel. Grinning, she held out her hand and stretched it over the cooler towards him. "Hi, I'm Terri's sister, Amanda."

Butterflies collided inside his stomach, and he realized that after all this time she hadn't changed much. A few more wrinkles, but her skin still looked clear and soft. Her blue eyes were bright with happy tears, and her lips, oh, they still looked as kissable as the day he first met her. His own lips parted, and he calmed himself before he spoke.

"Amanda. My name's Jake. Jake Baldwin. Nice to meet you."

She stared at him, and her mouth hung slack. Her eyes squinted and she studied him as she still hung onto his hand. He tried to disengage it from hers, but she held on tighter. Then she stepped up into the cab and sat where Theresa had shared the journey with him. "Sam? Oh my god, is it you?"

"No, my name's Jake..."

"No! You can't fool me!" She grasped his hand tighter as she felt his skin with her fingers. "I know you. I know your voice. It's you! It may be thirty years later, but I'd know you anywhere!" She dropped his hand, reached out and traced the scar on the side of his chin. "You've changed, but I never forgot your face." Her hand cupped his cheek and he could only stare at her as she blinked back tears. "Why, Sam? Why'd you leave me?"

With no warning, she pulled her hand back and slapped him.

His head whipped into the head rest, and shame filled his eyes. "I'm sorry, Manda."

"I can't even begin to imagine what sort of excuse you could have."

"Nothing that would satisfy you, I suppose. All I can say is I'm sorry. And I'm sorry that my being here reopened old wounds." He turned to face the windshield. "Now, if you get out of my truck, I'll leave, and you'll never have to see me again."

Amanda reached over and turned off the ignition, and she pulled out the keys and put them into her pocket. When his eyes met hers, his were full of shock and anger at her audacity. Hers were full of rage. "Get out of the truck, Sam. Now." He looked down and discovered that the glove compartment was open and she held his gun in her hand.

"Do you even know how to use that?" He noted that the safety was still on.

Her thumb slipped it off as she replied, "You don't want to tempt me, Samuel. Get out, now."

Whenever she called him Samuel, he knew she meant business. "Ohhh, okay, okay. Take it easy." He held up his hands. "I'm going to take off my seat belt now, real slow." He followed up by removing it. "And I'm getting out." He put his hand on the door.

"No! Not that way. This way." Amanda slipped off the seat and got out. "Terri, get that cooler out of there so he can come out."

Theresa got into the truck and looked at Sam with an apology in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into her. She thinks you're her ex-husband..."

"Terri, stop wasting time!"

She cringed. "You better listen to her." Terri pulled the cooler out of the truck, and she took it to the porch while Amanda stood waiting for him to get out. She heard the door close and turned to see Jake walking across the front lawn with his hands up. Amanda grabbed one and forced it down.

"Stop that! Just walk toward the house, and don't bring attention to yourself!"

He glanced back at her and complied, then turned to face the house. Amanda stuck the barrel into his back and walked close behind. Terri opened the door for them and followed the two into the house. Sam looked around at the small living room. The whole house was tiny and not much to look at, but he could tell by all the pictures, handcrafted pillows, and a multi-colored quilt on the couch that she furnished it with love.

"Okay, we're inside. I think you can take that out of my back now."

Amanda let out a sound like a growl and hit the back of his head with the butt of the gun.

He collapsed onto the floor. She didn't hit him hard enough to knock him out, just daze him a bit. Jake stayed down and waited for her next move.

"Manda, what is the matter with you?" Terri dropped to her knees and checked to make sure Jake was still breathing. "Why are you doing this to Jake?"

"Sis, I don't care what he told you his name is, he's a liar. Not too surprising." She sneered. "His name is Sam. Sam Axe. That no good slime ball I married long ago."

"No, it can't be the same guy, Manda! He... he was so nice. He took care of me and helped me get away from Warren. I don't think your Sam would have done that."

"Did you tell him about me?" She stood over Sam's prone body with the gun at her side.

"Yeah, but not until we were on the road for awhile." She looked up at Amanda. "Does it matter?"

"So he rescued you, and then you told him you wanted to come here and you told him about me."

"Yeah, that's about it."

Emotions paraded across her face, none of them good. "And what was his reaction? Did he give any indication that he knew me?"

Terri thought about it for a moment. "No, he didn't."

Amanda growled low again and kicked Sam, not hard, but enough to leave a bruise. He cried out, suddenly sat up, and got hold of the gun at her side. He pressed on a pressure point and disarmed her, twisted the gun around and held it in his hand as he dragged himself up off the floor. She breathed heavily and glared at him as she massaged the joint that he manipulated.

"I'm sorry, Amanda, I didn't want to hurt you, but I had to protect you from yourself."

"Why do you care now? You didn't care when you left thirty some years ago!"

He blinked a few times, thinking about what he would say. "When you and I married, I was in over my head. I thought I loved you, I really did. And then I got called up for SEAL training, there was no time to say goodbye." He paused. "I was away for a long time, I know that, and I wanted to write, but I was in places where contacting you was impossible. When I came back, you were gone. Then I found out you were with Mac, and I thought we were done."

"You could have fought for me."

"I could have," Sam said. "But I wasn't sure I wanted to. By that time, I was so confused about us, I didn't know what to do. Then duty called again, and it was a hell of a lot easier to deal with that than with you."

"Coward."

His response came so softly, Amanda almost didn't hear him. "When it came to you, yes, I was."

"And now? Are you still afraid of me?"

The corner of his mouth tipped up. "I probably should be. That was some pretty fancy stuff you pulled. I didn't know you had it in you."

"That's what happens when you marry a Marine."

Sam's face fell. "A... a Marine? You got married to a Marine?"

A slight smile crossed her face. "Think of it as a little bit of revenge against you."

"But, how could you get married again when we're still married?"

"Oh, we haven't been married long. Just a few months, but we've lived together for a lot longer." She paused and waved her hand toward the couch. "You might as well sit down and hear this."

"No thanks, I'd rather stay standing." Sam stayed near the front door and kept the gun in his hand. "I'm all ears."

Amanda stepped a few paces away from him and explained. "A few months ago, I got a phone call from a friend in Miami. Oh, you don't know her, but she knew about you. She said she read in the paper that you were killed in an explosion of a house." She looked at Sam and saw him nodding. "I looked into it and found out that the city had a death certificate with your name on it, so I was free. We went to the courthouse and got married right away."

"I see. Didn't waste any time, did you."

"I wasted thirty years of my life waiting for you to come back. I was an idiot."

Sam studied the floor for a few seconds before replying. He raised his head and looked directly at her. "I should have tried to contact you to arrange a divorce. I can't even tell you why I didn't, because anything I say will be a sorry excuse." He let out a breath. "So, what do we do now, since I'm not really dead, you're married to me and this other guy? But if we go through divorce proceedings now, I'm gonna have to get back on-grid and be Sam Axe again, and that won't be so good for me."

She crossed her arms in front of herself. "Why? Somebody trying to kill you? It'd serve you right."

"No. It's a long story, and I'm sure you wouldn't care. Let's just say it involves the government and my freedom."

"Sam, what did you do?"

He was surprised by her shocked look, and he fought a smug smile attempting to creep onto his face. "You look like you don't believe that I could do anything that's worthy of jail for the rest of my life."

"As much as I hate you for abandoning me, I don't think you could ever do something that bad. My friend told me about some of the things you and your friends were doing in Miami. Honorable things. Maybe the execution wasn't exactly legal all the time, but you were cleaning up the streets." Her expression softened slightly. "I don't think you could have done anything so terrible to be put away for life."

Sam relaxed a little, but he still stayed on his guard. "Thanks, Manda. I appreciate that."

"Now that you're here, it would be so easy for me to call the authorities and report you." She smirked at him. "I wonder if they're offering a reward. I could do some nice upgrading of the house."

As he watched a sly grin cross Amanda's face, he felt more vulnerable than he had in a long time. He kept his respirations even and calmed himself. She wanted to see him sweat, but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction. And to think he'd felt sorry for leaving her and neglecting her all those years. When she turned to Mac for more than just a shoulder to cry on, he divorced her in his mind. Not that he was ever lilly white, but the least she could have done was waited a bit longer until he could reach her. She must not have loved him that much, either. That was what hurt the most.

"Relax, Sam." Amanda crossed the room, stopped in front of him, and said, "As tempting as it is, I can't bring myself to do it. Maybe there's a piece of me that still loves you enough to protect you. It's crazy."

Just then, the back door slammed, and a male voice called out. "Manda? Where are you?"

"I'm in here, Kurt. We have a guest."

A tall, lean, muscular man Sam's age walked into the room. His hair was cut in the traditional jar shape of a Marine. He wore a sweaty t-shirt with Marines emblazoned on it. He wiped his greasy hands with a cloth, and as he stepped into the living room his eyes went to the man standing with Amanda.

"Holy crap. Sam!"

"Kurt." Surprised, Sam stared at his old schoolmate. "What the... you turned, man!"

"Yeah, well, after graduation I guess I decided that being a Marine was better than a squid." He grasped the rag in one hand as he grinned and came forward to give him a bear hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I brought Terri here to her sister, although I didn't know right away who her sister was." He gave him a sheepish smile as he broke away. "And I was hoping to find some people who can help me and my friends clear things up with, um, a certain government agency."

"You got yourself in some deep stuff, eh, Axe?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

"Could it cost me my career if this agency finds out you're staying here?"

Sam nodded again. "Most likely."

Kurt glanced at Amanda, who looked at him with uncertainty in her eyes. "Okay. Why don't you at least stay the night, and we'll figure out something tomorrow?"

Sam's gaze slipped to Amanda. "Only if you're okay with it, Manda. I don't want to do anything that might hurt you again. And I promise, that once things are cleared up, I will do everything I can to get our marriage dissolved so there are no problems for you and Kurt."

"Okay." Amanda nodded. "Sam?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry I pulled your gun on you and kicked you. I was just so mad, I didn't know what else to do."

He laughed. "I don't blame you one bit. I think I've been kicking myself mentally for a lot of years because of how I left you. It gave me a lot of scars too."

She suddenly felt uncomfortable and made a move toward the kitchen. "I'll get some supper started. Why don't you guys hang out? I bet you have a lot to talk about."

"Yeah. Let's go out on the porch and shoot the breeze. It's cooler out there, in the shade, and pretty closed off. It'll be safe to talk there." He stopped at the fridge. "Hey, want a beer?"

It was like asking a parched man if he wanted water. Sam grinned. "You betcha!" He accepted the bottle, twisted off the cap, and asked, "Hey, what about my truck out front?"

"If somebody asks, we'll say Terri bought it," Kurt said.

"Sounds like a good idea. Thanks, Kurt. Amanda." He nodded to her as he followed Kurt out the sliding glass doors to the porch.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The best they could do for Sam was a cot in the living room. "No problem, it'll remind me of Afghanistan." He winked and said, "At least I didn't have people there trying to steal my guns."

Kurt couldn't help himself. He laughed, but Amanda's steely gaze settled him down quickly. "Sorry, honey, but that was kind of funny."

"I'd forgotten about your lame sense of humor," Amanda said to Sam and turned toward the hall. "Good night."

Kurt waited until Amanda was out of the room before speaking. "Sorry, man."

"It's okay, Kurt. I deserve everything she throws at me. I won't deny that." He stepped closer and spoke softly. "I'm worried about whether I can trust her to not turn me in."

"Nothing's gonna happen as long as I'm around here, Axe. Don't worry. She's gotten it out of her system now, so she'll be fine. Really."

"How long have you and Amanda known each other?"

"Oh, about ten, fifteen years now."

"I see." A lot longer than I knew her, that's for sure. Of course he'd know her moods and peculiarities better than me.

Kurt clapped Sam on the arm and nodded. "Night, buddy."

"Night."

Theresa finished up in the kitchen, turned out the light, and came into the living room. She stuck her hands into her back pockets and looked around, afraid to meet his eyes. "I... well, um, night, Jake, I mean, Sam." She finally looked at him, and with a smile of embarrassment, she added, "I still can't believe that you're Scumbag Sam!"

"Yeah, I am."

"It may seem hard to believe after what happened, but she really is over you. I think it was just too much of a shock for her to see you today."

"I can imagine. I sure didn't expect to see her again." He smiled at her. "Night, Terri."

She retreated to the second bedroom and closed the door. Sam left a light on in the living room and went to the bathroom to prepare for bed. Both bedroom doors were closed. He heard Terri moving around in the room across the hall. She settled down before he was finished. On the other side of the wall, he heard Amanda and Kurt's voices, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. No doubt arguing about his presence in their home. Amanda was on the fence, that he could see. She still felt something for him, but she didn't want to, and that made her angry. It made him feel guilty all over again. If he'd only treated her right, and truly loved her, this never would have happened, and most likely, he wouldn't be on the run right now.

He decided to sleep in his clothes, just in case, and kept the gun tucked underneath his body. Most likely Kurt had a firearm or two in the house, but he wanted to make sure he had something he could use to defend himself if Amanda got trigger happy in the middle of the night. As he closed his eyes, he realized that his joke about Afghanistan wasn't too far off the mark. They may not have worried about someone stealing their arms, but killing raids were always a problem. When he bunked there while on a mission, he didn't get much rest. He and his team spent the night with one eye open waiting for an attack.

It's really sad that I can't trust you, Amanda. That I have to fear for my life from my own wife! Sort of wife. Ex. Whatever you are! This whole thing just gets crazier and crazier. What was I thinking, coming here? Why should I expect that my buddies will help me? If they're real friends, like Kurt, I shouldn't have to worry about them turning me in, but if my own ex wants to reap a reward...

Sam got up from the cot and paced himself into the kitchen for a glass of water. Can I really trust Kurt? We were friends in high school and haven't seen each other since then. He's married to my wife, for crying out loud! His allegiance is going to be with her, not me, and if she decides I've got to go... No, this isn't going to work. I have to get out of here tonight.

He reached into his pocket for the truck key, and then he realized that Amanda must have kept it. He groaned and ran his hand through his hair. Like it or not, he was stuck unless he hot wired his own vehicle. Then he smiled. The spare key! He pulled out his wallet, opened it and retrieved the key out of the slit where most people would have kept a credit card. He knew that he was repeating history by sneaking away in the middle of the night, but he couldn't sleep there if he couldn't trust Amanda. He went back into the kitchen, found a junk drawer which contained, among dozens of other things, a pad of paper and some pens. He pulled a pen out with the paper, and started writing a note. He got as far as "Dear Amanda and Kurt."

"Sam, whatcha doing?"

"Kurt." His head shot up. "Did I wake you?"

"No man, I just can't sleep for some reason." He crossed the kitchen and went to the coffee maker. "Want some?" He held up the empty pot. "I'll make some coffee if you want it. Otherwise I'll just have the instant crap."

"Sure, I'll have some." He ripped the sheet off the pad, crumpled it, and threw it in the garbage. He took a seat at the table and waited while Kurt made coffee. "So why can't you sleep? Worried about me doing something?"

"No, I'm more worried about Amanda smothering you in your sleep."

Sam chuckled. "You and me both, buddy!"

The coffee maker beeped, and Kurt poured two cups. He set them on the table, brought a couple containers of creamer from the fridge and dropped some spoons on the surface next to the sugar bowl. "There you go." He took a sip of his coffee.

Sam sipped his coffee and stared at the steam rising from it.

"What's going on, Sam? Who's after you?"

"The CIA."

"Why?"

"I don't know if I should tell you. I don't want to endanger anyone else." He paused and set down his cup. "I was coming here to LA to see if I could find some of my old intelligence buddies and see what they know is coming through the CIA pipeline. And then maybe we can use that to figure out a way to exonerate ourselves."

"We? Ourselves?" Kurt looked at Sam, confused.

"My friends and I. The ones I worked with in Miami."

"Ah, I see." Kurt nodded. "I know some people who might be able to get you into the local CIA offices."

"No, no way. I might as well just throw my hands up in the air and give up."

"Maybe I can arrange a meet somewhere."

"Kurt, if this goes sideways and you wind up in prison, Amanda will surely kill me then!" He shook his head. "I want you involved as little as possible."

"Well, until you can tell me what is going on, in detail, I can't help you. If I know what you need, then I can put out some word to people I know who can get you the info. Then I'll just back off and deny anything and everything."

When Sam looked into Kurt's eyes, he knew he could trust him. "Okay. You've gotta swear that this isn't going anywhere past these walls." He paused, his eyes turned toward the opening between the kitchen and the living room, and he said, "And that includes you, Manda."

She came out of hiding, a scowl on her face. "I don't know how you knew I was there."

"I'll never tell." Sam grinned.

"Before you start talking about all this CIA spy stuff, I want to know what happened to you after you left me. Everything."

"A lot of it is classified."

"Okay, whatever's not classified, then! I deserve to know where you were all this time!" She stood with her arms crossed and a defiant look on her face.

"Yeah, you do," Sam agreed. He pulled the chair away from the table and said, "Sit down. Kurt, you might want to get her a cup of coffee, it's going to be a long night." He waited until she was settled in with a cup of coffee before he began. "After I left you, I was sent to SEAL training. I graduated, and then I was on one mission after another for about twenty years. Lots of covert stuff that I can't talk about. I wanted to see you, but it's not like I could just say, 'Hey, I think I'll go see Amanda this weekend!' A couple of times I had long leaves and came stateside. I tried to find you, but you were gone. I traced you by your married and maiden names, but I came up with nothing."

"Where did you look for me?"

"San Diego, where we started. I didn't know where else to search."

"I moved shortly after you left me and went back home to Texas."

"Yeah, I got nothing but a dead end there, too."

"I met Mac in Houston, and he told me what he knew about you. For awhile, we didn't know if you were dead or alive, Sam."

"Yeah, and with good reason. I was so deep, even my mom didn't know where I was. And I didn't find out when she died until almost three years later." He took a sip of his coffee. "Anyway, I served in covert ops and intelligence gathering for a long time, but after a failed mission in Columbia, I wound up in front of a military court and came out with a discharge. I ran off to Miami with my tail between my legs, and I was determined to drink and screw myself into oblivion." He paused, took a sip of his coffee, and smiled. "Then I ran into Michael Westen, and life hasn't been the same since."

He told them about teaming up with Michael and Fiona, how Jesse joined them, and eventually even Michael's mom Madeline got involved. "Mike's burn notice wasn't as simple as it seemed on the surface. There were all kinds of people involved, and he worked through every one of them until he thought he was done and could get his job back. But this guy, Anson Fullerton, he was the last one. Crafty and arrogant, he turned Mike's life into a wasteland."

Kurt asked, "Where's this Anson guy now?"

"Dead. We finally got him trapped. The CIA wanted him alive so he could be questioned, but after all the crap we went through with him, we knew he'd never give them anything. He'd manipulate everybody until they thought he should be nominated for Man of the Year. Like Jesse said once, 'Sometimes you have to put the mad dog down.' So we did. And because Anson calculated that we might catch him and kill him, he put in place a disinformation campaign that made us all look like the bad guys. So now the CIA wants us."

Amanda took in a breath. "Wow. Sounds like you've been through a nightmare for the past seven years."

"Yeah, you could say that." He drained his cup and got up for a refill. "Anybody want any?"

Kurt and Amanda said, "Yes."

Sam filled their cups, put the carafe back on the machine, and sat down. "So now you know what I'm up against. Are you going to help?" He turned to face Amanda. "What about you? Still want to turn me in?"

"Somehow, I have the feeling that if I did, the CIA wouldn't give me a dime, so it's not worth the trouble," Amanda responded, a crooked smile on her face. Then she sobered and rested her chin on her hand. "How do you know that this Anson guy didn't engineer this whole manhunt just to scare you guys? Separate you, scatter you around the country, and he can do what he wants."

"But he's dead, Amanda. I saw him bleed out with my own eyes."

She pursed her lips as if in thought. "What if you only saw what he wanted you to see?"

"What are you saying," Sam whispered as his eyes bored into hers. He gritted his teeth and asked, "What do you know, Amanda?"

"Nothing. But thinking like a cynic, I'm inclined to believe that he played all of you once again." She actually looked sorry for him, something that Sam never expected. She turned to Kurt. "I don't know what we can do to help. Do you, honey?" She reached out for his hand, and he took it. Sam noted it, but to his relief, he felt no sense of jealousy. He and Amanda were ancient history, and he had a woman back home who loved him like no other.

Kurt spoke up. "I'll talk to some people who can get you access to the CIA. That's as good a place as any to start."

"Yeah, that's what I'm hoping to do with my old buddies."

"How well can you trust them? Do you know that if you contact them, they won't report to Anson if he's still alive?"

Sam hesitated to answer.

"That's what I thought." Kurt sighed and put down his empty cup. "I'm gonna try to sleep on this tonight and see if I can come up with an idea. Don't worry, Sam. We'll figure this out."

"Thanks, Kurt." He looked into his old friend's eyes and knew without a doubt that he was trustworthy. Amanda still registered uncertainty in hers, but if Kurt truly believed in him, Sam had no doubt he could convince Amanda. It was obvious that the two had what had been lacking in his relationship with her: an equal partnership and respect for each other. Sam and Amanda didn't have time for that when their minds were full of lust back in the day. "Okay, I'm gonna see if I can get to sleep now."

"Let's all do that." Amanda grabbed the cups and took them to the sink. "You guys go lay down, I'll take care of this. Good night, Sam."

"Good night, Amanda." She was thawing faster than he would have expected, yet he still couldn't trust her. He waited until she went back to the bedroom before closing his eyes, and he still kept the gun under his pillow where she couldn't access it. Through the rest of the night he slept lightly, unable to turn off being on alert.

Everyone except Terri looked as if they'd had a bad night. She glanced at them, perplexed, until Amanda said, "We were up talking with Sam last night. He needs our help, and we're going to do what we can to help him." She glanced at her ex and gave him a thin smile. It wasn't much, but it gave Sam hope. Kurt came out in his uniform and sat at the table.

"How'd you sleep, Sam?"

"Eh, okay."

"Yeah, kinda like Manda and me." He chuckled. "I've gotta go in to the office. While I'm there, I'll see what I can find out. I'll talk to my contacts, see if we can set something up."

"You're certain you can trust these guys?"

"A couple of 'em saved my life once. So yeah, I'd trust them completely."

Sam nodded. "Okay. I guess I'll just have to hang here until you come home. What do you do these days? You don't work on the base, do you?"

"No, I work in a recruiting office in downtown Encino. I help run the MROTC program at the high school. I get to play drill sergeant once a week on those kids." He grinned. "It's a blast."

Sam laughed. "I can imagine."

"The recruiting center is for all the branches, so I can rub elbows with the Navy guys. Don't worry, I'll be careful how I approach them and see what they know. Heck, I'll check 'em all out and see if there's anything on the radar." Kurt finished his breakfast, got up, gave Amanda a kiss and picked up his hat on the way out the door. "See you later, Sam!"

"Yeah." Sam finished his breakfast and worked on another cup of coffee while he watched Amanda straighten up the kitchen.

She felt his eyes on her to the point that it was annoying. She threw the dishrag in the sink and turned. "What is your problem?"

"What?" Sam's eyebrows rose. "I was just watching you. Wondering about... stuff."

"Like what?"

"How did you get along without me?"

"Oh, like without you around I was just so helpless? Please, don't flatter yourself." She turned back to finish wiping down the counter.

Terri sat at the table feeling uncomfortable. "Guys, I'm, uh, gonna go out back." She made a quick exit.

Amanda poured herself another cup of coffee and sat at the table. "I got along just as well as before I met you. I went home for a little while and wondered what it was about me that you had to run off and leave without more than a goodbye note."

"It wasn't you. It was me. Being married... I wasn't ready for it. I mean, I really liked you. I thought I loved you. But when that commitment came down on my shoulders... suddenly, I felt like I had to decide between you and the Navy, and I guess what we had didn't seem as important." His eyes turned to hers and softened. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

She looked at him intently, studying his face, and she reached out and touched the scruff on his cheek. All those years she kept such a trivial thing as the texture of his skin in her memory. It was rougher than she remembered, with scars that weren't there when she knew him. Her fingers ran alongside his head over his ear. "You must be dying your hair."

"Yeah, just trying to erase any distinguishing details."

"This." She touched the scar on his chin.

"That was a particularly brutal battle," he replied. "I prefer to keep it, because it reminds me of the guys who didn't make it home."

She didn't know how to respond. She smiled slightly as she pulled back, and finally, she spoke. "The scruff hides it a bit. But the rough beard makes it more obvious that you're no longer a natural dark brown. You could always stay clean-shaven and just put some concealer on it."

"I never thought I'd get makeup tips from you, Miss Fresh Face."

Amanda's nose crinkled up. "I can't get away with it anymore. I'm old, Sam!"

"But still beautiful."

"You always knew how to charm me." She laughed nervously, but when the sound died, they resorted to staring at each other. "Did you ever think we'd wind up like this, face to face?"

"No," he replied. "Did you?"

Amanda shrugged. "I fantasized about it sometimes, and it usually involved seeing you at the business end of a pistol." Her laughter came out soft and stilted. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I was acting like an idiot, and I am so ashamed of my behavior, because that is so not like me. I've changed, Sam. I'm not the same angry, abandoned woman I was thirty years ago."

"Your heart was broken. I understand that. If I could do anything to make up for it, or undo it, I would. You gotta believe me!"

"I know. I did a lot of praying and confession last night, and that's why my cooler head is sitting here talking to you today." She sipped her coffee. "So, what about you? Is there anyone in your life? I know you said you were pretty much a womanizer in Miami, but, I'm curious." She leaned forward, smiled slyly, and her eyes closed down as she studied him. "Is there anyone who captured your heart?"

"Would it bother you if I said yes?"

"No. I'm a big girl, I can take it."

"Okay, then, yes. Her name is Elsa."

Amanda nodded as she sat back in her seat. "And yet you left her too, for your mission?"

Sam closed his eyes, willing away the burst of outrage that threatened to come up. Taking a breath first, he answered. "No. I was protecting her. You don't know how much I wanted to bring her along with me! But I couldn't risk putting her life in danger! Besides, she's a woman with a high profile business in Miami. If she suddenly disappeared, I'd have to worry about a BOLO out on me for kidnapping. Never mind that it wouldn't be true, but then, apparently the CIA isn't exactly concerned with the truth concerning me and my friends. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here."

He stared at Amanda as he calmed himself. Her cold coffee seemed to have her attention, but then she raised her head. "I'm sorry, Sam. I wasn't trying to make you angry. I was just curious."

"It's okay. Really." He got up and retreated to the bathroom to finish getting ready for the day.

Amanda watched him leave, feeling like a jerk for provoking him. It should have been sweet revenge, but somewhere between last night and the morning, the taste of it had gone sour in her mouth. He was truly repentant for what he did. It was time to throw away the anger and resentment, to forgive and move on.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Before Kurt left the house to go to the recruiting center, Sam gave him a list of the guys he wanted to contact. Kurt promised he would keep it to himself but see what he could do about locating them. When he came home, he returned the list with information penciled in on most of them.

"Here you go, Sam. I was able to find out about most of these guys by looking them up in personnel records. I have access to the Pentagon mainframe," he said with a smile.

"You didn't tell me that," Sam said with an even bigger smile. "Think you could get into the CIA stuff yourself?"

"No. I try that, they'll flag me. Only certain people with the right clearance can get in."

Sam used to have the right clearance, many years ago. He knew what Kurt was talking about. "Thanks anyway, man. This'll help a lot." He folded the paper and stuffed it into his wallet. "Well, I guess I better get out of here."

"You're not gonna track them down tonight, are you?" Kurt looked at him with surprise.

"Tomorrow. Right now, I've gotta find myself a place to stay."

Kurt looked even more confused. "I thought you were staying here for the time being."

Sam glanced at Amanda before answering him. She kept herself busy chopping up some vegetables but didn't meet his eyes. "I thought the deal was that you put me up last night, and I was on my own after that. It's better this way. Then you don't get mixed up in the middle of my problems."

"Sam." Amanda looked up from her work and met his eyes. "You don't have any friends, at least no friends but us that you're in contact with here. With things being the way they are, you need us."

"Yeah, you protected me. Now it's our turn to help you," Terri said from where she stood near the stove helping Amanda cook dinner.

Sam stood in thought. He really didn't want to put them in danger, but would spending one more night bring them any harm? He let out a breath and nodded slowly. "Okay, I'll stay tonight, but that's it." He couldn't escape noticing the grin on Terri's face. When she smiled like that, the crinkles around her eyes became noticeable and told the world that she wasn't as young as she appeared to be, despite the youthful hair style and tight clothes. The bruise on her cheek was fading fast, but the scars would never heal. He hoped that she could eventually be free of Warren and find a new life, whether it was in LA or somewhere else. He knew from experience that there was a big country out there that was open to exploring. She just had to find the resources to do it.

That night he slept a lot better on the cot. He kept his handgun under his pillow, but this time it was for an entirely different reason. He was worried that somehow the CIA would find him and raid Kurt and Amanda's home. On his advice, Kurt parked the truck in the garage and closed the door. Only then did he feel sort of at ease. Sam was tired, and he slept well, but a part of him always remained on alert. Although he wasn't alert enough to hear the sound of a vehicle stopping and car doors slamming, when a barrage of bullets hit the house, he awoke abruptly, rolled off the cot, and flattened himself on the floor. Screams came from Terri's room.

"Get down, Terri!" Not sure she heard him, Sam crawled the short distance from the cot to her bedroom. The closed door looked like a slice of Swiss cheese, yet the assault didn't stop. He pushed the door open. Terri lay on the floor, no longer screaming, and not moving. He crept over to her and felt for a pulse. "Thank God," he muttered, feeling it. Her right side was slick with blood. "Come on, Terri, stay with us!"

The shooting stopped as quickly as it began. A loud boom came from the living room, followed by footsteps. Taking a chance that no one would fire on the house again, Sam got up and stepped to the side, using the door as a shield. In the spill of light coming from a street light, he saw Warren walk into the room and aim his automatic at Terri on the floor. Sam popped out from behind the door and his fist connected with Warren's chin, sending him flying backward against the door jamb. The force knocked the gun out of his hands and stunned him. Sam picked up the gun as he stuffed his own weapon into his waist band, and aimed the automatic as another one of Warren's gang stepped into the hall. He got off a couple shots but they missed Sam. Sam wasn't so careless. The guy went down.

Warren lunged at him, but Sam used the butt of the gun to slam into the side of his head and stomach before his attacker could even throw a fist. The man doubled over, and Sam brought the butt down solidly on the back of his head. He fell to the floor unconscious.

A shot rang out and grazed Sam's upper arm. He swung the gun around and fired, taking another man down. More shots came from the hall aimed toward the living room, someone cried out, and a body fell with a solid thud onto the floor.

"Sam, you okay?" Kurt poked his head around the door frame.

He was breathing heavily, but Sam replied, "Yeah, just a nick. Call 911, if somebody hasn't already. Terri's been hit." Kurt turned to get the phone. "Hey, wait! You got anything to tie up this guy? I think he's still breathing."

"I've got just the thing," Kurt said and disappeared for a few seconds. He came back with a pair of handcuffs.

"Kurt, you're a recruiter. Do I even wanna know why you have these?" Sam looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't ask." Kurt answered with a guilty expression and headed for the living room to check on the one he shot.

Sam turned and cuffed Warren, and Amanda slipped into the room, turned on a lamp beside the bed, and gasped at the sight of her sister. She dropped towels and other supplies on the floor. "Sam, look at her!"

"Manda, turn off that lamp! If there are any more out there, they'll home in on that light and start shooting again!" He was across the room in two strides and turned off the lamp. Thankfully, no other shots came from outside.

"Sam, I can't see."

"Just use your sense of touch, cover her up with towels, and that's about all you can do until help arrives." He heard sirens screaming toward them. "Hear that? Help is on the way!" He dropped the automatic on the floor, pulled his gun out and slipped his hand under the bed, and stuck it inside the box spring mattress. When the cops came, it wouldn't do for him to have possession of a firearm with no permit. Then he knelt beside Amanda and assisted her with Terri.

Police stormed the house and shouted at Kurt to drop his weapon. Two more barged into the bedroom.

"Hands up! Let's see those hands!"

"We're trying to help her!" Amanda screamed at them.

Sam ordered her. "Manda, just do it! It's okay, help is here!"

"Get up off the floor. Now!"

"Okay, we're moving." To Amanda, he spoke calmly. "Manda, just put your hands behind your head and get up slowly. It'll be alright."

She nodded, her hair falling into her face, obscuring her vision. She pulled it away, glanced at him, and followed his instructions. The cops grabbed their wrists and pulled them out of the room, forced them to step over the two bodies in the hall, and marched them out to the front lawn. Kurt already stood there with his hands clasped on the back of his head as he talked to the commander in charge.

"This is my house! That's my wife Amanda, and my friend... Jake." He almost slipped. "Manda, how's Terri?"

Her attention was taken by a paramedic team rushing into the house. "I don't know. She was bleeding so bad." Tears rolled down her cheeks, the red and blue flashers painting them with garish color.

Sam felt someone's hand reach into his back pocket for his wallet. "What's your name, Sir?"

"Jake Baldwin," he replied confidently. "I'm from Cincinnati, Ohio. I was born June 22, 1958." The cops looked at him suspiciously. "Look, I was in the military, I know how this works." That seemed to appease his inquisitors.

"Okay, you can put your arms down. Sorry, Sir."

"Not a problem." He took his wallet and put it back into his pocket.

"Can you tell me why you were here?"

"I'm just crashing at my friends' place for a couple nights, that's all."

"Do you know who these men were?"

Kurt answered them. "One of them, the guy Jake cuffed, is Warren Sillman. He's married to my sister-in-law, Terri. They shot her. They just pulled up and hammered the house."

Sam felt a sudden surge of guilt. "Jeez, Kurt, they must have followed us here. How else would they have known where she was?" He'd been so careful about tails, and surely he would have seen that blue Nova. It stuck out like a sore thumb.

"No, they didn't follow you," Amanda said. "Warren knew where we lived. You were here a good day before they showed up. Don't blame yourself." She turned at a sound and saw the paramedics dashing out of the house with Terri on a gurney. Blood seeped through the sheet, and in the emergency vehicles lights, she looked like she was dead. Amanda ran alongside them. "Can I go with her?"

"Sorry, ma'am. She's in very serious condition."

Amanda covered her mouth with her hand that still bore her sister's blood. "Oh no, please! Please let me go!"

"Ma'am, we'll take you to the hospital." An officer touched her arm and turned her toward a waiting car.

"I'm going with her," Kurt said. "Unless you officers still need anything from me."

"No, we're good. We'll have a detective talk to you at the hospital."

"Thanks." Kurt took a few strides toward the squad car, then turned. "Jake... I'll see you later. Don't go anywhere, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be here, Kurt. Don't worry!" He smiled at his friend and watched him rush to the car, get in the back with Amanda, and the car sped away.

"Looks like you'll be making a trip to the hospital yourself."

"Huh? Why?" The officer pointed to his arm. Blood ran down from his bicep to his hand and dripped on the grass. "Oh, that! Wow, I kind of forgot about it in all this chaos."

Another paramedic team came out of the house, and the officer waved them over. "These people will take good care of you, Mr. Baldwin. You'll be just fine."

"I told Kurt I'd stay here. All you've gotta do is slap a bandage on it and I'll be fine. It was just a nick! I've had worse."

He protested all the way to the ambulance and the two pushed him inside.

"Please sit on this bench, Sir, and I'll take a look at this."

The woman was cute. She kind of reminded him of one of his buddies back in Miami who helped him and his friends when they needed an ambulance to stage a heart attack emergency to prevent a client from being murdered. The woman held onto his arm and cleaned it with an alcohol infused cloth. It stung, but he forced himself not to move.

The wound still bled, so she pressed a thick pad in place. "Can you do me a favor and hold that for a few seconds?"

"Sure."

She pulled up his t-shirt to his shoulder so she had better access. She quickly packed another pad over the wound before wrapping it with a thick gauze bandage. Jake winced when she got it a little too tight.

"Sorry." She loosened it a little, but it was still snug enough to maintain pressure. He'd been wounded like this in battle before, and what she did was standard procedure. He'd handled other soldiers' gunshots in the same manner. "Okay, that should do it until you get to the hospital. Do you want us to take you, Sir?"

"No, it's okay. I can drive. I just have to get my truck out of the garage."

She glanced out the back and peered at the driveway. "With the number of cars and people around, I don't think your truck's going anywhere tonight. An officer can take you if you don't want us to."

"That'll be fine. It's not that big of a deal. I could just put some betadine on this, take some Tylenols and be okay."

She gave him a look. Obviously, she'd seen people like this before who thought they knew everything about wound care. "Let me guess, you're an expert in field medicine, right?"

Jake grinned. "Bingo! In a battle, we'd barely bat an eyelash at something like this."

She shook her head. "I hate dealing with ex-military guys," she muttered and escorted him out of the ambulance. "Good luck, but if I were you, I'd get that checked out anyway."

In the end, Jake took the paramedic's advice. The cops allowed him to go into the house and find Kurt's keys so Jake could take his car, and then they would all have a way to get home later. He drove himself to the emergency room and walked into the waiting area. Kurt and Amanda sat in a couple of chairs. Amanda's robe was covered in blood. Kurt's pajama bottoms and t-shirt were relatively unscathed. They looked up at Jake, and Amanda met him as he approached.

Jake stopped in front of them and asked, "How is she?"

"We don't know," Amanda replied with tears starting anew. "They rushed her in there, and they were doing CPR on her, but nobody's come out to tell us anything."

She threw her arms around his waist, and he put his arms around her and rubbed her back, ignoring the pain in his arm. The top of her head fit just beneath his chin. He'd forgotten how short she was.

"How are you doing," Kurt asked as he jutted his chin toward Jake's arm where the stained gauze covered nearly his entire upper arm.

"It's nothing. I'll have them look at it, but there's nothing they can do that I couldn't have done myself with the right supplies."

"Well, you better have them look at it. It's still bleeding."

"Yeah." Jake slowly pried himself away from Amanda, and she took refuge in Kurt's arms. He turned toward the reception desk, gave the nurse a smile, and said, "The paramedics sent me here to have somebody look at this. I was shot at, just grazed me. It's really no big deal, but..."

"Sir, you're bleeding on my desk. Come with me."

"Making such a big deal out of this," he muttered, but he followed her through the doors.

An orderly appeared within seconds and disinfected the place where a few drops of Jake's blood landed on the desk and floor.

The nurse forced Jake to get up on an exam table, set the head at a forty-five degree angle, and she moved his arm so that it rested over his head and lay on a pad that soaked up the excess blood. Another nurse came by and took his vitals, then hurried away to another bed. Jake glanced at his arm and he was surprised to see that it really was something to get a little excited about.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Zachariah," an olive skinned man said as he entered the cubicle. Jake noticed the foreign accent as he asked, "What is your name, Sir?"

"Jake. Jake Baldwin."

"Alright, Jake. I'm going to take a look at this wound. How did this happen?"

"I was grazed by a bullet from a Mac10."

The doctor's eyebrows rose and he nodded. Apparently he wasn't used to his patients knowing what kind of gun shot them. "I see." He donned gloves while a nurse cut off the bindings. Then he probed it and wiped away some of the blood. "It's a bit deeper than just a 'graze' as you say. It appears that the bullet nicked a major blood vessel. Not an artery, but a vessel large enough to cause some concern."

"There's no serious muscle damage though, is there, Doc?"

"I don't think so. I might have to do a little stitching if the vessel is damaged severely, but otherwise this will heal up just fine on its own." He patted Jake's tricep and wrote something on a tablet. "A little higher and more on the outside, and you would have lost part of your tattoo." He smiled. "I know how some people can get upset about that sort of thing. Yours, I'm happy to say, is safe."

Jake closed his eyes and put his head back. That damn tattoo again. He was getting really tired of people taking notice of it.

"Are you feeling nauseous, Sir," the nurse asked.

"No, I'm fine. Just tired."

"Okay, you just relax. It'll take awhile for this to get stable so we can determine what we need to do. I'm going to put an IV in just in case."

"I don't need that."

"Yes, you do. You've lost maybe a half a pint of blood. That doesn't sound like much, but any more than that and you'll be sticking around for a transfusion."

Jake grumbled to himself, but he assented to the treatment. He'd tolerate it, but if they wanted to admit him, they'd meet a whole lot of resistance on his part. He scrunched his eyes closed when the needle went in, but after the IV was in place, they left him alone for quite awhile. Despite all the noise around him, Jake was able to doze.

"Good news, Mr. Baldwin."

He opened his eyes a couple of hours later to find the doctor standing before him. "Yeah?"

"We don't need to do anything other than clean the wound, bandage it up, and send you home."

He snorted. "I coulda told you that!"

"We prefer to be cautious. Nicole will take care of bandaging you up and removing the IV, and then you're free to go."

"Thanks, Doc. Sorry I'm not the best patient."

He smiled. "People who have some medical background generally aren't. Take care, Mr. Baldwin." He handed him a piece of paper. "This is a prescription for an antibiotic and a pain medication if you need it. I'd recommend at least getting the antibiotic."

"Thanks." Jake took the prescriptions and waited patiently for the young nurse to clean up his arm and re-bandage it. She was inexperienced, and it showed in the excess care she took. When she removed the IV, it was more unpleasant than it should have been. He looked down at the spot where she taped a cotton ball over the needle mark. No doubt he'd have a bruise there the next day.

When he exited the emergency room he found Amanda and Kurt still waiting. He glanced at his watch. Streaks of blood partially obscured the face. He scratched them away and saw that it was 0340. It was a long night.

"Any news on Terri?"

"She's in surgery. They don't know if she's going to make it," Amanda's voice was so soft and riddled with sorrow, he almost couldn't hear her.

"I'm sorry, Manda."

"It's not your fault. It's that creep Warren. He did this, he and his friends."

Kurt put an arm around her and said, "It's out of our hands. The only thing we can do is pray." He sniffled. "Let's go to the chapel."

The three of them walked to the chapel that wasn't very far away. It was empty. Kurt led them to the front, and he and Amanda got on their knees on a couple of padded kneelers. There was room for Jake too. He stood behind them for a moment, not sure he was worthy to even be there, much less kneeling at the altar. Amanda reached out for his hand and pulled at him. He had no choice but to get on his knees and join them.

A lot of things had changed in the thirty plus years since he left Amanda. As he knelt beside her, he listened to her soft prayer, his heart agreeing with her words. It was a beautiful and eloquent prayer, but it was the faith behind it that really threw him for a loop. When the two met, he and Amanda were young, in their early 20s, still kids, but were instantly attracted to each other. Before his two week leave was over he was a married man and not sure what that all entailed. He knew she came from a "good" home, that she went to church and stuff, but the way she let loose with him, as one who wasn't sure about God and religion, he was confused about whether she truly believed.

Time changed her, and he saw now that Amanda had a deep and abiding faith. She asked for healing for her sister, a reprieve on her life, but ultimately left it up to God's will. He'd never been that confident to entrust his life into a faceless being's care. Yet that didn't stop Sam from talking to God now and then. He just couldn't make that kind of commitment. He sighed softly. Apparently, that was the story of his life. The only thing he'd ever given his heart and soul to was the Navy, and when they rejected him, it took a long time to give his soul away to anyone or anything. He gave himself completely to Elsa, but there again, he ran. It was for different reasons, but he ran nonetheless.

Amanda and Kurt got up and stepped back to sit on a pew together. Sam stayed where he was, uncurled his hands from the elbow rest, and folded his hands. He continued silently, because he didn't have the kind of words Amanda did, and he wondered if what he did say was good enough. God, Amanda pretty much said it all for Terri. She loves her so much, and I'm begging you not to take her away from Manda. Bring her back to health and make sure that the people who did this pay with their freedom, if not their lives.

His mind wandered to his own situation, and he continued. Thanks for the assistance to bring me this far in my flight. Help me find the means to clear up the misinformation that put me and my friends on this journey, and keep Elsa, Michael, Fiona, Jesse, and Maddie safe. Let us all be reunited soon. I know it's a lot to ask, but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibilities for you to handle.

It really kills me to say this, but your will be done.

Giving up control was not one of Sam's strengths. But sometimes, there's no other option left besides giving up and dying.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Sean slapped the newspaper onto the table in the small motel where he and Shannon took up temporary residence. "This was a waste of our time, Shan. Nobody's hirin' me, not without a background check."

"I thought that was all cleared up," Shannon said. "How did you get that job in Buffalo?"

"Aye, it was, but I don't know why they're makin' excuses about doin' a check this time. I think we have to assume that someone discovered my file and... altered it."

Shannon looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Surely you're not sayin' that someone is onto us!"

"I don't know. It just seems that somethin' is rotten." He let out a deflating breath and dropped onto the edge of the bed. Shannon reached for his suit jacket, removed it, and began kneading his shoulders. Sean groaned. "Maybe Jacob was right. We ought to just go to Oregon, and then meet him in Colorado in November."

"I wonder how he's doin' in LA? Maybe 'twould be easier in a bigger city."

"I've wondered that myself." He sighed and turned out of her gentle grip, and he knelt on the bed with her. Taking her arms, he said, "Shan, would ye mind if we went to LA? We could reinvent ourselves there, and perhaps fit in better."

She asked with a soft voice and eyes full of questions. "New names?"

"No," he replied softly. "No accents. The names'll be fine."

"Aye, 'twould be simpler, wouldn't it?"

Sean nodded with a smile on his face.

Her eyes glimmered with the challenge of new territory. "Alright then. Let's leave tomorrow."

It was so early when Sean pulled out of the motel parking lot, the couple beat the truckers on the road. With no planned itinerary or route mapped out, Sean was flying by the seat of his pants. That was so unlike him. It was scary, but it also gave him and Shannon a sense of adventure as the couple crossed from Iowa into Nebraska, with the sun coming up behind them. Miles and miles of fields full of crops wove in the breeze as they sped through the state. The sun shone down and seemed to bless the trip. Sean drove almost all the way to Denver, with several stops along the way for gas, snacks and drinks, and bathroom breaks for Shannon.

"Shannon, let's take a detour to Fort Collins. I want to find the restaurant where we're meeting Jacob, and do a recon."

"That sounds like a fine idea," she replied with a smile.

It took them almost two hours out of the way, but they found it. Sean pulled into the parking lot and chose a spot. "Let's grab some dinner here, check it out, and be on our way. We'll stay overnight in Denver."

Shannon nodded. "I take it we're getting rid of the accents now?"

"Yes. Let's just be an ordinary American couple with Irish names." Sean grinned and held the door open for her.

"Fine by me. I was getting really tired of your brogue... Sean." She smirked at him and entered the restaurant. He frowned, and her smile widened.

Neither one said much as their eyes roamed the establishment and took in every detail. Both Sean and Shannon came to the conclusion that it was a friendly place, yet it offered some seclusion.

"I can't wait until our next meeting," Shannon said as they left the restaurant.

"The food wasn't that great, Shan."

She grinned at him. "That's not why I said it. I just want to get through these next months and then hide away."

"I'd be happier if we could figure out how to get the truth to the CIA. I know Pearce knows everything, but when the agency won't believe her either, something is seriously wrong." Sean got into the passenger side, and Shannon took the driver's seat.

She waited until both of them were in the car to speak. "Maybe you don't want to acknowledge this, but I think Card is part of it, if he isn't the main reason. He carries a lot of weight, and you know it."

"I know, you've told me that before." He paused and stared out the window. "Fi... Shannon... it's hard to get my head around the fact that the man I trusted my life and career to has set out to destroy me. Why?"

"He sold himself to the devil, that's why. Just like Larry. Like you almost did." She turned the key and met his eyes. "Sean, you beat the temptation, and it kills him and Anson. You put a target on your head, as well as mine, Sam's and Jesse's, because you wouldn't fall." She held up a hand. "Ah, don't apologize. Despite our trials, we wouldn't have it any other way." She smiled at him and put the car in gear.

"I wonder what might have happened if we'd let Anson live."

"He was going to blow up your mother's house with her in it, Sean. You had no choice."

"Yeah."

Sean closed his eyes and his mind went back to that fateful day. He, Fiona, and Jesse were hot on Anson's trail. Sam was at Maddie's helping her with some home improvement project that she insisted had to get done. When Anson showed up and held them hostage with the help of a few of his burned spies, somehow Sam managed to text him and warn him what was happening. They arrived and found Anson in the solarium with Maddie and Sam tied together.

"Michael, you just wouldn't give up, would you," Anson said in his customary soft condescending tone as he came out and stood on the front porch. "I gave you so many chances to work with me, but you've fought every one. I'm giving you one final offer. If you say 'yes', your best friend Sam and your mommy Madeline get to live. If not..." He grinned as he held up a detonator. "They go boom!"

"Anson!"

Michael charged at him, but he held out a hand. "Uh uh, you touch me, and I drop this, and that's it. We're all done for."

"You wouldn't risk it. You wanna live too much for that."

While Michael talked to Anson, Jesse worked his way around the back of the house. He put two of the spies inside the house out of commission and made it to the solarium. Maddie gasped, but he held up his finger to his lips and urged her to be quiet. He untied her and Sam, and they swiftly and silently rushed for the back door.

"Wait, Jesse! There's two more coming in the back," Sam rasped.

The three changed direction in the kitchen and Sam and Madeline ran out the side door. Jesse stayed behind to take them on. He laid one out easily, but the other gave him some trouble.

Sam started to move along the side of the house, but he saw Maddie turn back. "Maddie!" He groaned and turned to follow her. By the time he entered the house, he found her standing beside Jesse looking down at the second spy, out cold on the kitchen floor.

Sam's eyes widened as he asked, "What did you do?"

"I found a new use for a crock pot," Maddie responded as she held up what was left of the appliance. The ceramic liner lay in pieces on the floor around the head of the spy who attacked Jesse.

He grinned. "I always knew you were creative! Come on Jesse, let's go help Mike." He took a detour to the Cadillac, opened the door, and pulled out a reserve gun from under the seat. Then he said to Madeline, "You stay here and take cover. I mean it! You don't have another crock pot to bean him with, and Anson's got something a lot more dangerous." He pointed at her, and she nodded.

Sam and Jesse slowed their pace as they neared the corner of the house. Michael and Fiona saw them. Jesse pantomimed for them to step back as Sam aimed for Anson, using a bush for cover.

"I'm sorry, Anson. I'm not playing your little games anymore." Michael turned and walked away from the house. "Good luck with your team," he shot over his shoulder. "That is, when they wake up."

"What..." Anson glared at him, and then he looked through the louvered windows. Sam and Maddie were no longer there. He cursed under his breath and ran into the house.

"Dammit, I was just going to shoot," Sam whispered. "I know the CIA wants him alive, but Jesse..."

"I know. Come on." He took off toward the front of the house, ran up the front steps, and Sam followed. The two saw Anson in the solarium, raised their guns, aimed, and fired. The louvers shattered on the first shot, and Jesse missed, but the second shot in quick succession hit its target.

Anson's eyes turned to Sam. There was victory in them. Sam and Jesse both shot at him, piercing his chest. Anson collapsed and hit the floor.

"Sam, he's got a detonator with a dead man switch!" Michael called out to his friends as he raced back to the house.

Sam nodded, and he and Jesse stormed inside. A few seconds later they came out carrying Anson. Sam had a vice grip on Anson's hand, preventing him from letting go and blowing up the house along with him and Jesse. They dropped him onto the grass, not caring if it hurt or not. Anson's chest was covered in blood, and his breath came out in gurgles. A siren screamed in the distance.

"We've gotta get out of here," Michael said. "Fi, get the car started."

She ran to the curb and started the car while Michael leaned over to look at his nemesis one last time. Anson opened his eyes and gave him a bloody grin. "You think this is over, Michael. That you've beaten me. Think... think... again." The breath left Anson's body, and he stared blankly up at the sky.

"Come on, Mike, he's dead," Sam checked for a pulse at his carotid artery and found none. "Let's get out of here!" He put the safety on the dead man's switch, preventing the house from blowing up before Anson's hand could relax and take the pressure off of it.

Sam and Jesse grabbed Michael's arms and dragged him to the car. Maddie stood in the front yard looking down at the man who caused her son so much grief. Jesse called out to her. "Maddie! Come on!"

"No, I'm not leaving until this trash is off my property!"

Sam pushed Michael into the back seat of the Charger and ran with Jesse to get Madeline. "Maddie, there's no time for this! We all have to leave, because as soon as the CIA finds out about this, we're all on their list. They wanted him alive!"

Maddie bit her bottom lip. The sirens increased in volume. "Okay." Her voice shook. "Okay." She turned and looked at the house that had been her home for almost fifty years. Then she leaned over, ripped the detonator out of Anson's dead hand, and pressed the red button. The concussion blew out the windows and sent a fireball through the house, and the three fell to the ground. Jesse recovered first. He pulled on Sam and Maddie, who made sure that the detonator was in Anson's hand, and the two got up and ran for the car. Sam and Maddie got in back, and Jesse sat shotgun with Fiona. Fi put on the gas and got them away before the police and fire units arrived.

Michael could still recall the look on Sam's face as Fiona drove past the garage. The Cadillac was in the driveway, and flaming shrapnel from the house punctured the passenger side windows, setting the interior on fire.

"Elsa's gonna kill me," Sam muttered.

There was no time to lose. After retreating to the loft, the group discussed what their plan of action would be. Jesse went to his apartment, packed a bag, and contacted a friend to help him get to the Caymans. Maddie hopped on a bus to see a friend in Orlando for a few days, and would return to Miami acting shocked at the destruction of her house. Elsa picked up Sam, and the next day he stopped by the loft one last time driving his used truck. Then Sam left, alone, and Michael and Fiona went their separate ways in used cars.

Wonder where Ma is. Where's the Charger is now? Is it okay? There were so many more important things to worry about, but his mother and his car were two things that concerned him the most at the moment. Michael knew Jesse had friends in the Caymans who would keep him safe, so he had no reason to worry about him. The last time he'd seen Sam a week earlier, he was thinner but doing well. He had every confidence that he would make it.

"I really wish there was a way to contact my mom," Sean mumbled.

"I have an idea. We need some gas, let's stop at this exit." Shannon pulled off the freeway and pulled up to the pump at a small station just off the freeway. "You pump the gas, I'll get you a phone."

Sean pumped the gas while Shannon went inside to put money down for the pump. As she turned around, she smiled sweetly at the man who got in line behind her. His hands were full of items, and as he ogled Shannon, he nearly lost a loaf of bread.

"Oh, here, let me help ya with that, darlin'," she drawled as she smiled wider and took a couple of the things, then laid them on the counter.

"Thanks, honey." He grinned at her and slipped past, leaned toward the counter, and set the rest of his purchases on it. Meanwhile, Shannon's hand flitted over his back pocket and pulled out his phone. "Hey," he said and turned toward her. He only saw her withdrawing her hand.

"So sorry. I din't want ya to fall over there. Have a nice evenin'." She winked at him and turned toward the door.

Shannon used up just enough time for Sean to fill the tank. He got into the passenger seat as Shannon rushed out to the car. Once inside, she handed Michael the phone. "Here. Make it quick, and when you're done, throw it out the window on the freeway." She started up the car and put it in drive, and the vehicle disappeared into the night as the man whose phone she pinched came out with his stuff. He felt his back pocket, realized it was missing, and yelled. But he was too late. The little phone thief was gone.

Sean dialed Madeline's cell number, hoping it still belonged to her. It rang four times, and then someone picked up. "Hello?"

"M...may I ask who this is?"

"Isn't that supposed to be my question?"

Sean chuckled, but it came out more like a sob. "Ma. Ma, it's me, Michael."

"Michael!"

"Ma, please, don't freak out! Where are you?"

She paused to get herself under control. "It's okay. You'll never guess who I've been staying with... Elsa."

"Elsa?" His eyebrows rose. "You're staying with Elsa?"

Shannon's head whipped around, her shocked expression lit up by the dashboard. Sean silently urged her to keep looking toward the road.

He turned on the speaker. "Yes, she's been a gracious hostess, Michael. She's helping me find a new house, and she offered to pay for it and new furnishings! She loves Sam so much, and she knows that he thinks of me like his mother, so she's helping me."

"Ma, when this is all over, we'll get everything straightened out with the house. I promise."

"Yeah, well, unfortunately, the insurance won't cover acts of terrorism, and thanks to your friends at the CIA, that's what they're calling the destruction of my house. So I now own an empty piece of land, and in this market, I'll never be able to get rid of it!" Her tone softened. "But that doesn't matter right now. I'm worried about you, Fiona, and Sam. How are you?"

"Fi and I are good. Mom... we got married in Buffalo. I'm sorry you couldn't be there."

"Oh, honey, that's wonderful! We'll celebrate when you come home, and you can do one of those vow renewal ceremonies. It'll be great!"

Her exuberance made Michael homesick and happy at the same time. "We saw Sam over a week ago. He's doing well. We're going to meet again in about three and a half months."

"Can you tell me where?"

"No. I'm sorry. We... borrowed... a phone, but we can't be sure your line is safe."

Madeline let out a breath. "I know, honey. It's okay. I hate this whole business, and I'll be so glad when you're home. I was hoping you and Fiona would get back together, and that you'd team up with Sam again. The fact that you're all scattered about is driving me crazy." She paused. "And if Sam is there, maybe he'd like to talk to Elsa."

"Sorry, Ma, he's not with us."

There was a pause, and he heard someone talking in the background. "If you see Sam, tell him she got it and the lifts are lovely this time of year."

That makes absolutely no sense! "Okay, I'll tell Sam the next time I see him. I've gotta ditch this phone now. I'll talk to you when I can."

"Okay, honey. You take care of Fiona."

"I will, Ma. I almost forgot, Fi's having a baby. Talk to you soon, Ma. Love you." He broke off the connection and missed Maddie's shriek of delight, rolled down the window, and tossed the phone out onto the pavement. In the distance, he heard it crack into little pieces, and he sighed deeply. Then he felt hot tears roll down his face, and he let the breeze coming in the window dry them. Shannon's hand found his, and he slowly turned back into Sean McKellar.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Theresa survived surgery and made it through a day and a night. Amanda, Kurt, and Sam never left the hospital. Sam knew he should have been working on meeting with the people on his list, but he couldn't leave his friend or his ex's sides. He still felt guilty for drawing Warren and his crew to LA. It didn't do any good to tell himself that if he hadn't helped Theresa escape, she would have been dead for sure, killed in New Mexico, alone, without her family ever knowing. It was better that she made it to LA, because when she recovered, she had Amanda's love and support and nothing to fear. Warren was sitting in jail with his buddy, held under huge bonds that neither of them could pay. The other two never made it out of the house alive.

Kurt was allowed three days' leave to be with Amanda and Terri. On the second day, when Sam came back to the room, he stopped him in the door. "We should talk."

"Yeah, sure. The lounge is free." He turned and led him to the empty room. They took a couple of chairs near the window where each man had a good vantage point of the hall and entrance. "What's up, Kurt?"

"I called my neighbor Pat, and he said the house is a mess. The cops still have police tape around it, but the detectives cleared out this morning." Kurt leaned his elbows on his knees and spoke softer. "I think you better go back there, get your stuff, and move out." He quickly put out a hand and placed it on Sam's arm. "Now, I'm not trying to get rid of you, man. I just think it's not safe for you to be there."

"Have you been back to the house at all?"

"Not yet. I was going to run by tonight and pick up some stuff for Manda and me. We can get your truck out of the garage."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan. Thanks, Kurt. You really went above and beyond as it is in helping me."

"Jake..." He looked around before continuing. "Sam, you were always a great friend. The best. When we had that dustup, well, most guys would have been like 'hit the road, dude'. But you never gave up on me." He swallowed. "I wouldn't be where I am today in the Corps if you hadn't knocked some sense into me."

"Oh, sure, blame me that you chose the wrong branch of service." Sam teased, hiding behind the humor to keep from choking up.

Kurt laughed and bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I really wish we had more time to hang out."

"When this is all over and I'm back in Miami, I'll contact you. Then I'll arrange for you guys to fly out and have a great vacation, on me. I'll introduce you to the best mojito this side of Cuba."

"That'll be great. Thanks, buddy."

"You're welcome, Kurt." They stood, shook hands, and went back to the room.

"Jake is leaving, Manda. He's not coming back."

"You're not?" Her eyes flew up to his.

Sam was surprised to see her tearing up, and he realized that he'd completely underestimated her all those years. He thought she would hate him for what he'd done, but after she got over the latent anger, she forgave him. Sam held her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Sorry, Manda. I've gotta keep going."

"I know. Just be careful. I know you want to take care of ending our marriage, but please, don't do it by dying for real. Okay?" She sniffled and ran a hand along his cheek. Then she got up on her toes and kissed where she'd touched him and hugged him one last time. "Good bye, Sam," she whispered. "Love you like a brother."

"Love you, too, Manda," he replied with a smile. "Like a sister." He squeezed her and let her go. He picked up Theresa's hand and held it for a few moments. "Get better, Terri. Your sister needs you." He patted her hand and stepped away from the bed. "Bye, Manda."

He followed Kurt out to the car, got in, and let his friend drive him to the house. Kurt parked on the street and they both stood at the curb, staring at the damage. The stucco siding was filled with dozens of holes from about waist high upward.

"No wonder I didn't get shot until those guys came in," Sam remarked. "Getting on the floor saved my life."

"And our bedroom was toward the back, so the bullets didn't make it to our room." Kurt let the gravity of that fact sink in. "Well, we better get you packed and on the road, huh?"

"I'm going to find a motel to stay in for awhile, at least until I talk to some of my buddies."

Kurt unlocked the front door. "How'll you do that without going into their offices?"

Sam grinned. "I wasn't in intelligence gathering for over a decade for nothing. Don't worry, I'll find out everything about these guys that I can get my hands on and catch 'em where they least expect it."

"Good luck, man. I wish I could have helped you more." He let Sam inside the house and while he picked up his things, Kurt parked the other car on the street and moved Jake's truck to the driveway.

He went to Terri's room to retrieve his gun. He wasn't entirely sure that it would still be there, but it was. He pulled it out from under the bed, stepped around the dried blood on the floor, and wrinkled his nose at the smell. Amanda was going to have a fit when she came home to this! He stuffed the gun into his duffel and picked up the rest of his things from the bathroom.

It pricked Sam's conscience that he had to leave on the fly and not contribute something to getting the household back into order. But Kurt was right. It wasn't safe there anymore. After loading the truck with his bag and the cooler, and saying his goodbyes to Kurt, he got into the truck. The key Amanda took from him was stuck in the ignition. He was glad to get it back. Sam started the truck and backed out of the driveway. He waved to Kurt, and then he turned his truck toward the road that would get him to the freeway. He wasn't familiar with LA, but he'd done enough research to know what part of the city was most advantageous for him to find his targets. He drove to Pasadena where two of the people on his list lived.

Roger Holt was not only at one time a very good friend of Sam's, he was also first on Kurt's short list of people whose names were dropped when he talked to his coworkers at the recruiting center. Roger was freelancing, not attached to any agency or branch of service, but he had clearances that a lot of people could only dream about. Sam wasn't sure, but he believed that Roger worked with the CIA, sort of a contractor like Mike was before he got burned. He would have to be careful around him, even if they were old friends, and Sam knew he had to take a big risk in shedding his alias to speak with him. After he'd spent the night sleeping on it, he decided to just take the chance and approach the guy who had the most potential to help him.

It would take some finesse. He couldn't just bump into him. Sam had to start with the intel he had and tail him for awhile. The next morning, he followed Roger as he went to a coffee shop near his apartment. Then he went to an office building. Sam was glad he brought the cooler along with drinks and snacks, because he spent the entire first day watching that building. Roger went out for lunch, and Sam got out of the truck and tailed him to a cafe. Sam, however, kept walking and found a place where he could be inconspicuous and watch when he came out. Then it was back to the office building until three in the afternoon. Roger drove to a community center and picked up a little girl.

Sam watched from the truck a half block away. She looked so happy to see him, and Roger smiled wide as he crouched and gave her a big hug. Then he kissed her cheek, took her hand, and led her to the car, the little girl's backpack bumping along behind on the pavement. Sam couldn't help but smile at the sight. Roger was about his age, so if this was his daughter, he must have started his family late in life. Grandchild? No, couldn't be. Wonder if he realizes how lucky he is to have a family. The life of an operative doesn't lend itself very well to such things.

Roger drove the little girl to his apartment. Sam parked far enough away to not be seen, and he watched as they entered the building. He gave them a little time, then got out and entered the lobby. He checked the directory, and there were only last names on it. A few had no names at all.

"Can I help you, Sir?"

Jake turned and found a woman standing behind him. "Maybe. Are these units for rent, the ones that don't have names on them?"

"Only those two are vacant. Apartment 305 is occupied."

"You couldn't by any chance tell me who lives there? I know a guy who lives here. His last name is Holt."

"Oh yes, Roger." She smiled, and Jake suspected she had a special attachment to him.

"Yeah, that's him. I'm an old friend of his. He hasn't seen me for about twenty years or so."

"I see. Well, he just went up with his daughter."

Boy, this lady is way too easy! He gave her one of his killer smiles and asked, "Do you think it'd be okay if I just went up, knocked on his door, and surprised him?"

"Hmmm, I don't know. He's kind of funny about unexpected guests." She thought a moment, then shook her head. "I don't think that would be a good idea. If you'd like, I could take a message and put it under his door, and then if he's willing to see you..."

Jake held up a hand. "No, that's okay. Thanks anyway. I'll, uh, just run into him some other time." He smiled at her and left the building. I almost had her! Almost! As he walked away, he glanced up at the third floor. The little girl he saw with Roger looked out the window, her eyes aimed down at him, and looked away. Would she say something to her father about the stranger on the sidewalk? Or would she not notice that anything was wrong with some old guy standing outside the building? He couldn't be sure. Jack just knew that it wasn't safe to be loitering around. He went back to the truck.

Sleeping in the truck wasn't comfortable, but if he didn't want to miss a chance having a meeting with Roger, he had to stay where he was. He set his watch to wake him up, and shortly after it beeped, he saw Roger drive out of the underground parking garage. Today, the little girl was with him, He drove to the coffee shop, the place where Sam hoped to sit down and talk to him. There was no way he'd go in with the kid present. He waited for the two to finish their breakfast, and then Roger dropped her off at the community center. He gave her another big hug and kiss, watched her trot off to the playground and said hello to a woman who supervised the other kids, and then he got back into his car. Tailing and surveillance were boring, and with Sam itching to talk to Roger, that made it ten times worse. He sighed as he parked near the office building and Roger went inside. Maybe I should just try to get the next guy on the list, Trevor D'Angelo. No, Roger's the guy I have to talk to. I just know he'll give me the best intel. If I can ever get close to him!

When Roger left for lunch, he took a different route than the day before. He walked in the opposite direction, right past Sam's truck. Sam turned enough to make it hard for Roger to identify him, and the ball cap helped. He felt the man's eyes on him, but he didn't dare look up. Instead, he pretended to be looking at a map. After a few seconds, the coast was clear. Roger continued on his way, and Sam got out to follow him.

He watched as Roger turned toward a lot that had been paved with asphalt surrounding a small hut-like building. It was a burger and hot dog joint. Sam got in line a couple people behind Roger and couldn't help but smile. He knew Roger well enough that he could have bet on what he would order.

"Two Chicago dogs, hold the kraut, please."

It was all Sam could do to not give himself away by laughing.

"With a Coke."

His smile widened. In all those years, the guy hadn't changed. Knowing that, he realized that it might not be so difficult to break through any shell he may have built up over the years. Roger turned out of the line with his food and Sam studied the menu board, avoiding Roger's gaze, because he felt the man's eyes on him again. Sam ordered a chili cheese dog with a soda and went in search of his target. Roger sat under an umbrella at a table near the side of the building next door. His eyes were on Sam as he bit into his first hot dog.

Sam smiled at him and approached, and when he was only a few steps away, asked, "Mind if I sit here?"

"Go ahead."

Sam set his lunch on the table and took a seat, all the while knowing that Roger studied him, his mind working, trying to figure out who he was. To help him, he took off his cap and set it beside him on the bench.

"Oh... my... god... Sam. Sam Axe." Roger breathed.

"I think you've got me confused with someone else." Sam lied in order to test him. "The name's Jake Baldwin."

"What happened to Chuck Finley?"

Sam laughed, unsure about how Roger knew his other alias. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'd know that laugh anywhere." Roger said softly as he looked around warily. He fell silent for a few minutes as he casually ate his lunch. Then he leaned in, swallowed a bite, and spoke again. "Sam, it's okay. You and I, we go way back. You can trust me."

Sam furrowed his brow and looked at Roger as if he had no clue what he was talking about.

"Fine. I heard you might be coming around to talk to me, but, well, if you changed your mind or whatever, it doesn't matter. I'm not the one the CIA is after." Roger shrugged.

It was Sam's turn to look around warily, and when he assured himself it was safe to talk, he leaned forward. "Roger, how did you know?"

"I have friends in the agency. I know the CIA is gunning for you, Westen, Glenanne, and Porter. But I also have it on good authority that there are others within the agency who believe that you all did the right thing. Fullerton was no good, Sam."

"So, what are you saying, Roger?"

"I'm saying that I'm on your side." The corner of Roger's mouth twitched into a penitent smile. "I was approached by Anson a few months ago."

"No, wait, how many months exactly?" Sam tried to keep his voice down. "We took him down almost four, four and a half months ago."

Roger thought for a few seconds, staring up at the underside of the umbrella, his lips moving silently. Then he brought his gaze back to Sam. "Nope, I'm positive, it was a couple months ago. I don't know what you guys thought you did, but he was alive as sure as you're sitting there."

"You actually saw him." Sam's face paled.

"Yeah. He came out west here trying to round up a new bunch of spies. He's looking for self-contractors now, apparently. People with clearances who can get into the CIA files and really mess around." He shook his head. "I told him I wasn't interested."

"And you're trying to tell me that he just said 'okay' and left you alone?" Sam shook his head in disbelief. "No way. That's not how he works."

"He threatened me and my daughter. But I got her out of town for about a month, and by that time, he tired of trying to play me and moved on. Last I heard he was in San Francisco."

"You heard. From whom?"

"Tricia Fox. Remember her?"

"Yeah, we used to call her Roxy Foxy. She was in communications."

Roger nodded. "Yeah, and she's got herself a nice little comm company set up in Frisco. There's no way she's gonna join with Anson!"

"I still can't believe that he's alive! I saw him die right in front of me!"

"That guy is slippery, Sam. The snakes have nothing on him."

Sam snorted. "You're tellin' me!"

"Are you going after him, to take him down once and for all?"

"If that's what I have to do. But I'd rather clear my name, and Mike, Fi, and Jesse's too, before I do anything to him."

"You can't do it alone."

Sam nodded. "I know. But unfortunately, we all split up, and now I am on my own. And I'm not gonna ask you to get into the middle of my battle. You've got a wife and kid to worry about."

"My wife died last spring."

"Oh." Sam sat up a little straighter. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks. It was a car accident, and Selah was in the car with her. She almost died." Roger looked up from the remnants of his lunch. "I don't believe that it was an accident. I think Anson was trying to eliminate them and set it up so I'd use my anger at losing them and work with him."

"So he approached you last year already?"

"One of his associates did. Sam, like Westen, I was working for the CIA. Then I got burned, but I managed to prove my innocence and they let me back in. Anson's friend tried really hard to not let that happen, and Marie and Selah's accident was the icing on the cake."

"That son of a..." Sam muttered. "But Selah's okay now. She needs her daddy." He shook his head. "No, I can't ask you to get involved."

"I already am, buddy. I can send Selah up to Washington to visit her granny for awhile. She'll be safe in Seattle. Anson probably knows about her, but she lives in a high security building."

"With Anson, I wouldn't count on that being a deterrent if he wants to get her."

"It's enough." Roger looked deep into Sam's eyes. "I want this guy. He's responsible for my wife's death. I'm certain of it. Every day he walks the earth is one more day I wish I could be going after him."

Sam let out a long breath. "Roger."

"Sam. Please."

He looked at his friend sitting in his designer suit with a ketchup stain on his silk shirt. The look on Roger's face told him that he wouldn't sit quietly while Sam ran off to find Anson. He was right, Sam needed help. If only he could contact Mike and Fi.

"Okay. I need your help with something."

"What is it? Anything!"

"I need to find Mike and Fi. They're going by the names Sean and Shannon McKellar." He felt his instincts kicking in, scolding him for revealing his friends' cover ID. But he was to the point where he had no choice but to trust Roger. "The trick is, they're using cash for everything, so there's no paper trail. Maybe a motel register signature can tell us where they stayed, but we could be looking forever trying to get that information. Besides, the last I heard they were going to Iowa."

"What, does Westen wanna learn how to be a corn farmer?" Roger chuckled.

Sam pictured Mike in worn overalls and a well-worn straw hat on his head, driving a tractor. He replied with a smile, "I don't think so. I just know he said he had a tip on a job and that's where he was going." He sighed. "They could be anywhere by now."

"I can do some searches on their names, see if I come up with anything. You done?" He pointed at Sam's half eaten hot dog.

"Done enough. Why?"

"Let's go back to my office and we'll do some digging." Roger smiled. "I'll let you borrow my clearances, and you can see what's cookin' over at the CIA."

Sam grinned. "That's the best offer I've had in months! Thanks, Rog!"


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Sam followed Roger back to his friend's office, and he kept up a personal conversation with him, learning what he'd been up to for so many years. In the Navy, he and Roger had been through their first assignment together for the first two years. Then Sam went to SEAL school with him. Roger washed out and went into intelligence, but they always managed to keep in contact somehow until Sam went deep undercover. He heard from him once or twice over the years, but Roger had no idea what happened to him after the fiasco in Columbia.

"You got a really raw deal there, Sam," Roger said as they entered the building. "I heard about the discharge, and I just couldn't believe it. I figured something really bad must have happened on that mission, because the scuttle was that you never came back stateside. Obviously, I got some bad intel there."

**"**I settled in Miami. I had to use a little graymail on the Admiral to get that discharge. Otherwise, I would probably be molding away in Gitmo, branded a traitor."

"Wow. I'm glad I never got into your line of work."

"Well, it didn't help that I messed around with an Admiral's wife. I don't get involved with married women if I can help it. It was an accident. An accident that cost me my career and almost my life."

"Well, next time you get hooked up with someone, give me a call. I'll make sure they're single or they don't have any skeletons in their closet before you start fooling around." Roger laughed as he unlocked his office and let Sam inside.

"Actually, there is a woman. Her name is Elsa. And believe me, after we met and I knew I really liked her, I checked her out myself. She's single, rich, and she adores me. And I'm crazy about her." He took the seat Roger offered him. "I just wish this was all over and I could get back to Miami to be with her. Hopefully she hasn't given up on me yet and found someone else."

"If she loves you like Linda loved me, I doubt she will, Sam." Roger sat in his comfy chair, a contented smile on his face. "We were together twenty two years, married nineteen of those. The only reason it took us so long to get hitched was because I wanted to make sure that she was okay with my life. She wouldn't give up on me, and she supported my career choice one-hundred percent." He paused. "Selah was kind of a surprise gift."

"Sounds like she was one of a kind."

Roger swallowed before answering. "Two of a kind, if your Elsa is the same way."

"I don't know about that yet. I guess when I get home I'll find out."

"Well, let's get down to business, shall we?" He pulled out a laptop from a locked drawer in his desk. He gave it to Sam. "This computer has access to CIA files." He scribbled something on a piece of paper. "This is the password. The user name is belpolczek1and3."

"That's an odd user name."

"I can't tell you what it means. Sorry, Sam. Some things not even my wife knew!"

Sam chuckled. "Yes, the life of a spy. I know what that's like." He crossed one ankle over a knee, started up the computer and set it on his lap. Both men fell silent as they went about their business. "Say, Rog, I'm not keeping you from anything right now, am I?" He glanced up at his friend.

Roger looked away from his monitor. "Nope. I just finished a job a couple of days ago and I was prepping for another one, but it's okay. This takes priority." He looked at Sam in such a way that let him know that he was serious about helping as much as he could.

"Okay. Thanks again, Rog. I really owe you for this!"

"I'm not doing this just for you. Remember that."

"Yeah." Sam nodded. He caught a glimpse of a photograph sitting behind Roger on the wide windowsill. It was of a woman with long, wavy brown hair. Her eyes were so full of life and happiness that beamed out of her smile. She sat on a swing with a little girl, Selah, on her lap. She was the one Roger did this for above all else. We'll make sure that your death is avenged, Linda. I swear it! He refocused and went back to work.

Getting access to the CIA files was like being in a candy store the size of Walmart. He rooted through the data and found the information that indicated that he and his friends were dangerous and should be apprehended. He wanted to alter the documents, but Roger didn't have that much clearance. They were read only. So he spent the afternoon looking for anything that could give him a bead on Anson's true whereabouts. He came across a report that stopped him cold.

"Oh, crap."

"What is it, Sam?"

"I just found a report from an agent here in LA. The agency tracked Mike and Fi. Listen to this: 'Michael Westen and Fiona Glenanne are using the aliases Sean and Shannon McKellar. They were spotted in Santa Monica. They were found to be staying at the Seaside Motel close to the boardwalk.' The date on this report is today. This is fresh intel."

"Really fresh." Roger looked up at Sam. "Should we go check it out?"

"Did you find anything?"

"Not on them. I'm not finding anything on Anson's latest location, just that he arrived in San Francisco three weeks ago. He could still be there, or somewhere else by now."

"Okay. You know what? I'll go see if I can find Mike and Fi. You get your daughter out of town before anything can happen to her." Sam logged off the computer and gave it back to Roger.

Roger placed the computer in the desk drawer and locked it. "You know where I live?"

"Yeah. But I don't wanna go there. We'll meet at the coffee shop where you had breakfast this morning."

Roger smiled. "I had a feeling somebody was watching me the past couple days. It was you, wasn't it?"

Sam nodded. He stood, and Roger rose and took his hand. "Let's meet up there tomorrow morning, and then the four of us can go up to San Francisco and try to locate Anson."

"Sounds good. I'll get Selah on her way to Seattle, and then I'll come back here and see if I can figure out anything else. I'll contact some of my friends in Frisco and see if they've been approached."

"Thanks, Roger."

"Any time, Sam." They shook hands one more time, and Sam left the office.

Sam parked the truck a block away from the motel. He wasn't worried about Mike and Fi seeing it, but if anyone, like Anson, knew what vehicle he was driving, it would put them all in harm's way. He got out and casually strolled to the motel, kept his head low and hidden beneath the bill of his cap. He entered the lobby, and approached the front desk.

"Afternoon, Sir. How can I help you?"

He smiled at the young woman and answered in a passable brogue. "Aye, I'm lookin' for my sister, Shannon. I was told she and her husband Sean checked in here recently. Sean McKellar."

The woman tapped into her computer. Sam saw her face register that the name McKellar was in their computer, but she didn't acknowledge it aloud. "What's your name, Sir?"

"My name is Jacob Baldwin, Miss."

"One moment, Mr. Baldwin." She pushed a button and spoke into the headset she wore. "Mr. McKellar? There's a gentleman at the front desk by the name of Jacob Baldwin. He said he's your wife's brother." She listened, and a warm smile appeared on her face. "Yes, Sir. I'll send him to your room." She pressed the button again, then looked up at Sam, still smiling. "Mr. McKellar sounded very eager to see you! You can go through that door, it'll take you out to the pool area, and their room is near the shallow end. Number 12."

"Thank ye kindly, Miss!" Sam tapped the bill of his cap and turned toward the door. Once he had the location, he couldn't believe how easy it was to find his friends. He had to force himself to keep a steady, casual pace as he moved to room 12. Once in front of it, he knocked out another one of their many signals. The door flew open, and he almost tumbled inside.

"Get in here." Michael held a gun in one hand, and with the other he tugged on Sam's arm and pulled him inside.

"Ah, careful!"

Michael slammed the door, glanced above where he gripped Sam's elbow, and saw the bandage peeking out from a rolled up sleeve. "Sorry, Sam. What happened to you?"

"It's nothing, just got shot a little."

"A little? Nobody gets a little shot," Fiona exclaimed as she came out of the bathroom. "You either are or you aren't."

Michael turned toward Fiona. "So, are we clean?"

"I didn't find anything. We're safe here."

"Good." Michael turned his attention back to Sam. "How did you find us?"

"Nice to see you again too, Mikey."

Michael smiled and patted his shoulder. "It's good to see you too, Sam."

"I thought you guys were going to Iowa. What happened to that?"

"We did," Fiona answered as she dropped onto the edge of the bed. Michael took a chair at a small table, and indicated for Sam to sit in the other. "But we got there, and Michael couldn't get a job that required a background check, so we decided it would be easier to blend in somewhere bigger. You were going to LA, so we followed."

Michael asked, "You want something, Sam? We don't have any beer, but..."

"Water's fine. Mike, I've had one beer in like, well, since we took off. I think I can handle not having any. I made the mistake of choosing an alter ego who didn't drink, because I figured it was safer, that I wouldn't get impaired and accidentally give something away."

"Wise move." He handed Sam a bottle of water. "We just got in yesterday and picked this place because it was cheap and Fi wanted to be close to the beach. Every time we leave the room and come back, we sweep it for bugs."

"What happened to you, Sam," Fiona asked. "And how did you find us?"

Sam quickly related his activities over the past few days, ending with his meeting with Roger. "He's the one who gave me access to the CIA files. I tried to go in and change some of the reports submitted on us, but he didn't have that good of a clearance. Then I found a report on you guys and where you were. It was filed this morning, so you're not as safe here as you thought."

"There's probably someone watching the motel right now," Michael said and his jaw twitched.

"I'd bet on it. You two need to get out of here. If there's a way out the back somewhere, I can pull around, pick you guys up, and then we can scram."

Fiona tilted her head and glared at Sam. "I'm not that big yet that I can't fit through the bathroom window!"

Sam laughed. "Sorry, Fi. Didn't think I was insulting you there. Okay, so you two scoot out the window and meet me along that side street, and then we'll head up to Frisco."

"Why San Francisco?"

"That's where Roger said he heard Anson was."

Michael's face turned stone cold. "But... he's dead."

"That's what we thought. Apparently not." He drained the water bottle and stood. "Come on, we've gotta get out of here ASAP." He headed for the door. "Give me five minutes."

Michael nodded. He closed the door behind him, and he and Fiona gathered up a few things that fit into a small bag, being careful not to leave any firearms or ammunition behind. They went into the bathroom. Michael opened the narrow window above the tub and checked his watch as he listened for tires on the street.

Sam walked casually to the street, checking out the scenery, and he saw a vehicle on the other side and north a few hundred yards away with two men in it. He turned south and kept his easy pace even as he walked to his truck. He unlocked it, got inside, and started it. It was then that he saw a couple of cell phones sitting on the seat with a note.

He picked up the note, which was short, and quickly read it.

_Dear Jake,_

_ Sorry I can't be there to help. The sharks are circling, and the children are in danger of being fish food. The lines are secure, burning phones. Good luck._

_ Roger_

Crap. He was hoping to have Roger's help in locating Anson, but apparently things got too hot for him. He stowed the phones in the glove compartment and put the truck in gear, drove past the corner and down a few blocks. The car's driver didn't follow him. Instead, as he turned onto a side street he saw the two men got out, and from the looks of them, they were Feds. He sped down the street and found a cross street, turned right, and after a couple blocks got back onto the street that ran alongside Mike and Fi's motel room. Fiona waited on the grass, hidden behind an evergreen that kept her invisible from the main road. Michael dropped down from the window and turned.

"Come on," Sam called. "They're heading to your room!"

Michael and Fiona ran across the street and he opened the door. The cooler was on the floor, and Michael pulled it out into the street. As soon as Fiona was settled in the middle and Michael slammed the door shut, Sam hit the gas. At the corner, he turned and went north, hoping to find access to the freeway, or to link up with the Pacific Coast Highway.

"Roger couldn't make it, Mike. He really wanted to help us, but..."

"Roger? Roger who?"

"My old Navy buddy, Roger Holt. Remember, he's the guy who let me borrow his clearances to get the intel on you guys."

"Can you trust him?"

"I trusted him with my life when we were in the service together, and he wants Anson dead as much as we do, so yeah. He managed to drop off a couple of cell phones for us. I put them in the glove compartment."

Fiona reached over Michael and pulled them out. She disassembled one and looked for a bug or extra strong GPS tracker. "This one's clean." She handed it to Michael, and he put it back together while she worked on the second one. "This one is also clean. I guess your friend can be trusted."

"To tell you the truth, at first I wasn't so sure about him, but I'm glad I took a chance. Otherwise, I never would have found you two! I'm tellin ya, Mikey, being on the road alone sucked!"

"We missed you too, Sam." Michael glanced at the side view mirror. "I don't see anyone tailing us."

Sam checked all the mirrors. "I don't see the Fed car, but let's not get too comfy and think we're home free." He saw a sign for the freeway and took the onramp. "Just keep watching."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Six hours on the interstate. It wasn't as scenic as the PCH, but time was more important than pleasing their eyes. As they neared San Francisco, Michael spent time quietly contemplating how they would go about finding Anson. It was a very large metropolitan area, and the man had almost a month on them. He might not even be there anymore.

"Mike, I think our first action should be to visit another old buddy of mine. Her name is Tricia Fox. She and I go way back in the Navy. She has her own communications company in the city, and Roger said she was approached by Anson recently. He didn't say whether she agreed to work with him, but knowing her as well as I do, I'm betting she not too politely showed him the door."

"Which means she's got reason to nail Anson as much as we do if he's tormented her as much as he has us," Fiona said.

"Exactly. Let's find out where her business is, and go from there." Michael added, "Just be really careful, Sam."

"It helps when I've got you two watching my back." The corner of his mouth tipped up in a smile. "I didn't realize how much I missed you guys until I got you back!"

"Well, don't go getting all mushy on us," Fiona grumbled. "We've got work to do!"

"Amen, sister." Sam grinned.

The phone, one that Roger supplied them with, rang in Fiona's pocket. Her brow furrowed as she pulled it out and answered. "Hello?"

"Hello, who is this?"

"'Tis Shannon McKellar. And who is this," she asked in her thick brogue.

"It's Roger Holt. Can I speak to Jake, please?"

"Certainly." She held the phone out to Sam. "It's Roger."

"Speaker, Fi," he whispered. She hit the button and he responded. "Hey Rog, thanks for the phones! I'm with Mike and Fi right now, on the road."

"No problem, Sam. They're burners and as far as I know they're secure. Where are you?"

"We're almost into ground zero. Where's Roxy Foxy's?"

"It's on Market Street. I'll give you the address." Roger gave them the information. "Be careful. And if you see Anson, give him one for Linda."

Sam nodded. "Will do, Rog. Is everybody safe on your end?"

"Yeah. I closed up shop for a few days and I've gone into hiding. My baby's out of town. Otherwise, I wouldn't be talking to you right now. Look, I've gotta go. I have a meeting with someone in a few minutes, someone who can help you all get back into the CIA's good graces."

"Roger, how'd you manage that?"  
"I have friends in high places, Sam." They heard the smile in his voice. "Take care, you three."

"We will. Thanks, Roger." The connection ended.

"Well, that was interesting." Michael glanced over Fi's head at Sam. "This Roger guy sounds like he's got a lot of buddies, like you."

"Only he's got buddies with more clout, apparently. Mikey, I had no idea! When I was with Roger, I felt like there was a lot he wasn't telling me." He glanced at Michael. "I'm afraid that either he thought he was being watched by more than just me and he had to be careful what he said, or... he's working with Anson and pulling us into his web. I really don't wanna believe the latter. He's always been a good guy, on the up and up."

"What about this Roxy Foxy?" Fiona asked.

"That's her nickname." Sam smiled. "Tricia and I, well, we dated when we were stationed out of San Diego. She was a Communications Officer, we were on the same carrier. But we kept our relationship off ship, if you know what I mean." He sighed. "Anyway, we had more than that. She was a great friend, and for years she's helped me with intel gathering sometimes when I hit a brick wall. We haven't talked in awhile, since I teamed up with you, Mike, but I'd trust her completely."

"You're sure about that," Michael asked.

"Yeah." He glanced at both his friends. "When we get in there, though, let me feel her out first. I'm pretty sure I can tell if she's not gonna be on our side."

"Okay. But we should probably find some place to spend the night. It's too late to find her in her office, I would think."

"You're right. Let's get something to eat first and ask the locals where's a good, but cheap, place to stay."

After stopping at a small restaurant on the outskirts of the city, a waitress directed them to a nearby motel. To save on their resources, the three shared a room with two queen sized beds. Sam felt uncomfortable with the arrangements, but as long as Michael and Fiona behaved themselves, he'd have nothing to worry about. As he lay there trying to go to sleep, he listened to the two whispering and now and then they kissed or did other things that he'd rather not know about. But they drew the line at giving him a free show, and for that he was grateful. It made him miss Elsa all the more. He glanced at his watch, and the hands glowed. It would be about 0230 in Miami. Wonder if she's lying there alone in bed thinking of me? He shook his head and buried it deeper into the pillow. Thinking things like that would only make him feel worse.

Early in the morning, Sam navigated them into the heart of the city. He found a parking garage near Tricia's business and parked inside. The three walked two blocks to the high rise, stood across the street, and looked up at it glinting in the sun.

"Well, let's do this," Sam said as he led the way across the street.

"Wait, Sam." Michael held him back. "Let's go into that diner, grab some breakfast, and watch the place for awhile."

Sam turned and saw the old diner at the base of an older sky scraper behind them. "Sure, why not." He followed them inside, ordered, and didn't say much, which concerned Michael.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Why?"

"You just seem kind of quiet, that's all." He studied Sam. "Care to talk about why?"

"Well, I'm a little, um, nervous about seeing Tricia." He looked up from his plate at Michael and Fiona. "It's been awhile since I've seen her. There have been a lot of women under the bridge since we were last together. But every time we communicate, I get this sense that she hasn't lost any of the feelings she had for me."

"So she was in love with you, and you left her?" Fiona asked with an accusatory tone.

"She was in love with me, but I never felt the same way. I know I broke her heart. I just don't know how she's gonna take being in the same room with me." He paused, let out a breath, and stared out the window at the heavy pedestrian traffic. "I mean, when it came to business she was all good, but on a personal side... I just don't know."

"But you still trust her," Michael said.

"Yes."

"Then let's just focus on business and push the rest aside."

"Yeah, easy for you to say."

"Have you asked her about her personal life since you two parted ways," Fiona asked.

"No. I've always kept it strictly business."

"Well then, maybe she's gotten over you and anything you think you hear in her voice is either nostalgia, or your imagination. I mean, really, Sam. You think a little too much of yourself sometimes!"

"Hey, what do you mean by that?" He sat up straight and gave her a scowl.

"Well, you seem to think that you're God's gift to women, and that you're unforgettable."

"I do not."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Will you two knock it off," Michael pled through gritted teeth. "Put a sock in it, Sam! And Fi, no more provoking him!"

"Oh Michael, you're just no fun," she said with a glint in her eye.

Sam turned even more glum until it was time to approach the building.

Inside they found a directory that informed them that Roxy Communications was located on the fifth floor. They took the elevator, got off, and entered the reception area. Behind a pair of frosted glass doors, they found a woman sitting at a desk. She smiled at them.

"Can I help you?"

"We're here to see Ms. Fox. We don't have an appointment, but I'm an old friend."

"Mr. Baldwin?"

Sam gave his friends a quick look of surprise. "Yes, that's me."

The receptionist grinned. "She's expecting you. Just have a seat and she'll be done with her other meeting in a minute. Could I get you some coffee or something?"

"That would be great, thanks!"

Settled in with ceramic mugs of coffee made just the way they liked it, Michael and Fiona sat in the comfortable chairs. Sam stayed on his feet, sipping from his cup as he studied the photographs on the walls. Each one was a transparency lit brightly from behind, illustrating all sorts of surveillance and communications products. He picked up a brochure from a table and quickly skimmed it. Tricia's company provided a wide array of services, from setting up a secure wireless network, to providing employers with the means to spy on suspicious employees. Quite the business you've got, Roxy.

"Mr. Baldwin?"

"Yes?" He looked up at the receptionist.

"Ms. Fox will see you and your friends now. Let me escort you to her office."

"Thanks." Sam dropped the brochure where he found it and he and Michael and Fiona followed her past another set of glass doors. Offices ran the length of the hall, all facing a gorgeous view of the bay. At the end of the hall, she led them into a large office and silently scooted past them to return to the reception area.

Tricia rotated her chair from the window and set her cell phone on the desk. She gave Sam a megawatt smile as her eyes locked on him. "Oh wow, Sam. You look great!"

"Me? I've been through a lot lately." He shrugged. "But you, you're not looking bad yourself."

She got out of her chair and met him, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and gave him more than a friendly kiss on the lips and caught him unexpectedly. Then she pulled away. "Sorry. I just had to feel if it was still the same."

"And?" He looked down at her.

Her grin widened. "Just as good as I remembered!" Then her expression changed and she was all business as she backed off. "These must be your friends. I can't imagine you'd bring anyone who's a risk in here."

"Of course not! This is Michael Westen, and Fiona... Westen." He silently checked with Fi to see if that was correct. She smiled at him and nodded.

"Ah, the infamous burned spy." Tricia held out a hand. "It's a pleasure, Michael, Fiona."

"Word gets around, doesn't it," Michael said.

"It does."

Sam got them back on track. "Word has it, you were approached by Anson Fullerton."

"I was. I told him to shove off, and I had some of my people keep an eye on him. He tried a few things, like harassing my brother, whose a captain in the police force. He tried to mess with my company's accounts, but I and my team managed to spoil his every move. I think it pissed him off and he left town a few days ago."

"You're saying you were able to defeat his plans," Michael said, incredulous. "No one's been able to do that."

"Michael, besides my background in communications, I earned a degree in psychology. It's very helpful in figuring out how best to relate to people." She smiled and leaned on the edge of her desk. "I used what I knew against him. I also found some leverage that now has him running scared."

"Really?" Sam leaned up against the desk beside her and crossed his arms and ankles. "Care to tell us what it is?"

"With a little help, I found his leaks in the CIA. Roger knows too, and he met with the west coast director yesterday and outed them. After that, it'll just be a matter of time before the CIA national director hears about it. Then look out, because there'll be a major manhunt and the next time he gets caught, Anson won't be faking his death." Her brown eyes sparkled at the implications.

"You know what happened in Miami," Michael said as he stared at her.

Tricia swept a lock of her long black hair away from her face and smiled. "Yes, thanks to my connections. And it was just a happy accident, really." She reached out and ran a hand along the back of Sam's neck and down his back. "If I didn't still have an interest in finding out what Sam was up to the last few years, I wouldn't have discovered that he was working with the famous Michael Westen. That intrigued me."

"So you're saying that because you have an obsession for Sam, you know about us?" Fiona asked, her arms crossed, peering at the two.

With a small chuckle, Tricia replied, "Yeah. Crazy, but true. I always had a soft spot for him. I never forgot about you, Sam. I was even thinking of trying to recruit you after you retired. When I heard about what happened to you and that you were in Miami, I kept my eye on you. I was impressed."

Tricia moved around her desk and pulled something from a drawer. It was her purse. "Why don't we get out of here and go get something to eat? I'd really like to sit down with you all and get the scoop on everything you've been up to. And then we can work out a plan to locate Anson and end this, once and for all. You guys like Chinese? There's a great little place in Chinatown, it's quiet, secluded, and safe for lunch meetings. Come on."

She led them to the restaurant, and once they were in a small alcove away from prying eyes, Fiona spoke. "I'm curious about your relationship with Sam."

Tricia sat next to him, across the table from Michael and Fiona. "Sam and I met on leave in San Diego. We had a whole weekend together, a very hot, exciting weekend," she replied as she gave him a look that could have set the place on fire. "When it was time to go back to our respective ships, we wound up walking to the same carrier. We both thought that was pretty funny, but then, it also brought a real challenge. On-board... relationships... are risky, so we had to learn how to be just friends while on duty."

"I can't imagine that was easy, knowing Sam's... ow!" Fiona glared at Michael after he kicked her under the table.

"How'd you get the nickname Roxy Foxy," Michael asked.

"I'm guilty of that one," Sam confessed. "I found out her middle name is Roxanne, so I just got a little creative." He chuckled, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

She covered his hand and gave it a squeeze. "That's okay, I never really minded it. I only let my friends use it, though. Anybody else, well, they learned fast."

"Yeah, she could kick some butt. Don't mess with her." Sam gave her a grin.

"Still can." She patted his hand and let go. "So, any other personal questions before we get down to business?"

"No questions, but I just remembered something I'm supposed to tell you, Sam." All during their exchange, Michael noted how Tricia sat close to his friend, forcing him into the corner as he tried to evade her overly affectionate moves. Hopefully what he was about to say would throw some water on the fire and settle down Ms. Roxy Foxy. "I had a chance to talk to my Ma. She said that Elsa got the message, and she wanted you to know that the lifts are lovely this time of year. I have no idea what that means, but, well, Ma was pretty adamant about you getting that message. Elsa's been taking good care of her."

A tender smile crossed Sam's face. "That's my girl! I sent her a letter after we met in Topeka. I postmarked it out of Oklahoma City, and at the end I included some sentences that were a code. She obviously found my code book in the stuff I had at her place, and she was able to figure out when and where we were meeting next. Her response told me that she would be there."

"Who's Elsa?"

"With everything you know about me, you don't know about her?"

"I know that you've had a lot of girlfriends over the past few years, but I thought you were unattached."

"Nope. I'm vary attached to Elsa," Sam replied with a grin.

Tricia saw the beaming expression on his face, and she unconsciously put some space between them as she frowned slightly. When she knew Sam was coming to see her, she'd hoped that maybe it would result in him staying in San Francisco and reuniting as a couple. The look on his face dashed that hope into a million pieces.

With a serious expression, Tricia said, "I guess you'll be going back to Miami then, after this is all resolved."

"If I could hop on a supersonic jet to get there, you betcha."

The look in his eyes obliterated any fantasy that may have remained. "Amazing. I never, ever, in my wildest dreams would have expected to see you genuinely in love with someone." A bittersweet smile parked on her lips. "I always hoped that it would be me, but, oh well, that's life, huh?" Awkward silence followed.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"I hope you weren't waiting for me."

"No, I just never had much luck with other guys. It's not your fault, so let's just get off this subject and move on to Anson and what we're going to do about him."


	15. Chapter 15

_Thanks to FicreaderT for the assistance on the plotline!_

**Chapter 15**

If it were any other time, the calypso music wafting on the balmy breeze would have soothed Jesse's nerves and enticed him to order another one of those fruity drinks that really packed a punch. But this was not one of those times. He wasn't here on vacation. He was on the run from the CIA because of what happened with Anson. When he fled Miami, he made contact with an old friend who was sympathetic to his situation. Levi Cutler, a man with shady connections and an even shadier business, acquired a mass of wealth that allowed him to live in the Caymans in a semi-retired state. He helped Jesse flee the States and take refuge in his home until things blew over. Jesse spent his time searching for a way to clear their names, but he kept coming up on one obstacle after another.

He sat on a beach chair, tired and frustrated by his inability to change anything. Mike, Fi, and Sam were using aliases and doing a damn fine job of keeping under the radar. Although, he did find a newspaper article about an incident in a small Texas town, and at the moment, the electronic version splashed across his computer screen. Jesse reread it and noted that the accompanying photo finally came up. It was a picture someone had taken on a different occasion, and it was kind of fuzzy, but other than the hair color there was no doubt in Jesse's mind that it was Sam.

"Jesse! Helloooo!"

He blinked behind his sunglasses and glanced up at the person who spoke to him. "What's up Levi?"

"I've got a visitor for you. Two, actually." Jesse tensed up, and Levi noticed the cautious posture. He smiled. "It's two ladies." He stepped out of the way and let the two women come forward.

"Maddie," Jesse blurted and abruptly stood, nearly losing his laptop in the sand. He juggled it and set it down on the seat he vacated. "And Elsa. Wow, this is quite a surprise." He reached out and gave them both hugs.

"We know." Maddie stood before him, her eyes darting about and her hands clasped, her fingers strangling a smoldering cigarette. "We need your help, Jesse."

"Sure, what is it?"

"We need to find Sammy, Michael and Fiona," Elsa said, her eyes pleading with him. "The last time either of us heard anything was a few days ago, when Michael called Maddie. They were on their way somewhere, but Michael couldn't say exactly where. According to a coded letter Sammy sent me, the three are supposed to meet up on November first in Fort Collins, Colorado at a diner."

"Well, I know Sam was in some little hodunk called Grandy, Texas recently. Here, check this out." Jesse picked up the computer and showed them the article. He watched Elsa's eyes dart back and forth quickly as she read the screen, and a fine mist covered them by the time she was done. She reached out and touched the screen over Sam's photograph, her fingers tracing the side of his face.

"He looks like he's doing well," she said finally. "Is he still in this town?"

"No. The article says he left not long after the incident. I was just trying to run a check on his alias to see if anything came up. That's how I found this. I was also going to check on Mike & Fi's cover IDs."

"Do you think that maybe they met up somewhere?"

"It would be great if they did, but not likely," Jesse answered. "It sure would help in finding them if they're together."

Elsa sighed. "Then we might just have to wait until November and meet them at the diner," she said, disappointment tempering her voice. "That's a long time to wait. So much can happen between now and then, and I have this awful feeling that something bad will happen before then."

"We've had to wait this long," Maddie said as she touched Elsa's arm. "We just have to hope for the best."

"Jesse, what can we do? How can we help you find them?"

"Well," Jesse hesitated and gave Elsa an uncomfortable smirk. "Unless you've got security clearance with the CIA, not much. I'm tip-toeing around with my clearances as it is. If the Feds get wind of what I'm trying to look at and trace me here, I'm in deep trouble." He tucked the computer under his arm. "Ladies, I think the best thing for you to do is go back to Miami and wait it out. Be there for the meeting in Colorado, but in the meantime, like Maddie said, hope for the best. I'll keep trying from this end."

"Jesse, what was the name of that little town in Texas?"

He looked into Elsa's eyes and saw a serious determination in them. "You can't do this..."

"I will. If I'd known Sammy was going to leave without me, he never would have gotten one foot out the door. Now I'm taking this one shred of evidence we have and try to find him. Someone in that town must know which way he went!"

"Elsa, this is too dangerous! You don't know the reach that Anson has, and how he's influenced the agency!" He held up a hand. "Okay, let's hold on a second here, alright? I have a couple people I can contact. They're still loyal to Michael. They know what's been going on, and they've been trying to work from the inside out to set the record straight."

"Fine. What should we do?"

Jesse sighed deeply, holding off a chuckle. This woman Sam found himself had some real nerve, but she was also naive. Elsa had no clue how precarious everything was, and that it wasn't as simple as just showing up in a little town in Texas and locking onto Sam's trail. Jesse couldn't help, because the moment the agency discovered he was on American soil, they'd be after him too and then he wouldn't be of any use to anyone. An idea formed in his head. It was crazy, but if nothing else, it would ease Elsa and Maddie's minds a little.

"Come on into the house. I want to talk to you about this." He beckoned them with his arm as he moved toward the small beach house that Levi let him use as his base. Jesse offered them something to drink, and once they were settled into chairs at a small round table, he sat with them.

Elsa looked at Jesse's computer screen, staring at the picture of Sam.

Maddie asked, "What's your plan, Jesse?" He raised an eyebrow, pretending innocence. Maddie glared at him like a mother who knew her child was up to something. She pointed an unlit cigarette at him as she spoke. "You can't fool me, sweetheart. I've been around you too long, I know when you're coming up with something."

"Yeah, this probably won't amount to anything, but at least it's something for you to do." He turned his attention to Elsa. "I want you two to go back to the States and locate this town, Grandy, Texas. Talk to the people there, but don't make it too obvious that you're hunting for Sam. You'll be looking for Jake Baldwin."

"I suppose I could pose as his sweetheart, trying to find him." Elsa batted her eyes.

"It's true enough," Maddie said.

Jesse laughed. "That'll do." Then he sobered. "But be careful. We don't want to get anybody's suspicions up. See if anyone knows where he went, then call me." He wrote his number on a piece of paper and gave it to Elsa. "In the meantime, I'll stay here and see if I can get through this web of security and find their whereabouts. If I do, I'll let you know and then catch up to you. You're not going alone to meet up with them. We don't know what they're up against right now, and you could be walking into something really messy."

"What about your friends in the agency," Maddie asked.

"I'll talk to them."

"Who are they?"

"Maddie..."

"Come on, Jesse! It might be good for us to know who they are, so we can contact them if we need help and, God forbid, we can't get a hold of you!"

He closed his eyes and dropped his head in his hands. Jesse knew Maddie could be stubborn, and he anticipated it, but with Elsa on her side... If either of them started crying, he knew he was done for. "Okay, fine. My contacts are Dani Pearce and Tom Card."

Elsa's eyes grew wide and her tone went up a notch. "Card? Sammy said he didn't trust that guy!"

"Yeah, well, I wasn't too sure about him myself. But when things started falling apart, and people were pointing fingers at Mike, Fi, and Sam, he defended them. He blew me away. We can trust him, really." He took the paper he placed in front of Elsa and wrote more numbers on it. "That one is Dani's, and the second one is Card's. Use them only if necessary."

Elsa took the paper and programmed the numbers into her phone. "Okay, Jesse, what's your alias?"

"Alias?"

"Yes. I don't want to put you in my directory as Jesse Porter. That would be dangerous," Elsa replied and smirked. "How about... Jay P." She grinned. "Very cool. People will think I know a rapper or something." She snickered as she entered the name. "I'll figure out something for Pearce and Card, something that I'll know who they are but anybody looking at my phone would have no clue."

He glanced at her sideways, a smile playing on his lips. "Has Sam been teaching you some spy craft?"

Elsa's smile widened. "Not really. I think I picked it up through osmosis."

Jesse spent some time going over the plan with Maddie and Elsa, and they stuck around to see what kind of information he could dig up to assist them. The women flanked him and stared at the screen as he tapped wildly at the keyboard.

"Hey, Jesse?"

"Yeah, Maddie?"

"They've been on the run for awhile. How are they financing this?"

"I would think they'd have to get jobs somewhere," Elsa said. "Work under the table for cash, most likely."

"Maybe not." Jesse tapped the edge of the computer. "I know Michael and Fiona had fake Socials. I think Sam had one too. Let me do a search for a Sean McKellar in the SSN database."

"You can do that?" Elsa's eyes were wide with surprise.

Jesse smiled. "You'd be amazed what I can still get into. Sometimes our government isn't so efficient to take away access keys. I've been able to get into CIFA files, despite quitting last year. I have some clearance that overlaps for CIA files, but not as much as Mike would have had." As he spoke, he tapped away at the keyboard. "Ah, here we go. There are ten people with the name Sean McKellar."

"Great." Maddie muttered. "Can you narrow them down?"

"Yep." He clicked a couple of filters and the list shortened to three that showed the same age range. One more tap of keys, and he was left with one name. "Cross your fingers, ladies. Let's hope this is our man."

Jesse clicked on the entry, and an employment history popped up. Maddie and Elsa gasped in unison. "That's him! It has to be Michael!" Maddie pointed to the screen. "Look at that, jobs at security firms in Buffalo and Indianapolis."

Elsa nodded, but frowned. "His history ends there, and that was about two weeks ago. What happened afterwards?"

"Okay, don't get excited, Elsa. Let's look up Fi." He printed a copy of Michael's history first, then searched for Fiona. There were more records with her alias, so it took a little longer to narrow it down. "You know what? I have an idea. Maddie, you said they got married, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay, let me see if I can get into the city of Buffalo's records and find something."

A half hour later, Jesse had the information he needed on Michael and Fiona, but the trail went cold in Iowa. Sam's trail was even shorter, still stuck in Grandy, Texas. "Sorry, that's the best I could do."

"We'll just have to start with this, then." Elsa glanced at Maddie. "So, what should we do? Follow Michael and Fiona's trail, or Sam's? Or we split up and handle both?"

"No way," Jesse held up his hand to stop her. "You are not doing this alone!"

"Well then, what do you suggest, smart guy?" Elsa sat forward in her chair, staring at him, her hand on her hip in a defiant pose.

Jesse wanted to scream. It was really sweet and admirable that Elsa was so set on finding Sam, but she had no idea what she could be getting herself into. "Okay, fine. I'll call Dani and Tom, and see if they can accompany you. I'd go myself, but... I'll be right back." He got up from the table. "Excuse me, ladies." He grabbed his phone and left the room.

"You know, he's really starting to piss me off," Elsa said, and Maddie stared at her. "He's acting like we're a couple of kids and we can't take care of ourselves."

"Elsa, I've helped Michael with some of his cases. I know how dangerous things can get."

"Sammy told me a lot about what he's done, at least the things that weren't classified. I wanted to know exactly what kind of man I was falling in love with, and I know he was completely honest with me. I'm not afraid, Maddie." A fierceness filled her eyes that caused Maddie to sit back in her seat. "I wish I could tell you how much I love him. When that Rebecca woman almost killed him and he called me and left that message, it was then that I knew how devastated I would be without him. These months have been killing me inside, Maddie! I will risk everything to get my Sammy back. Everything."

"Your life?"

"Yes. I'm willing to take the chance."

Maddie was speechless at first, but she recovered and responded. "I understand how you feel. I lost Michael for ten years, and I have no intention of losing him again."

"Good, then we agree. We're going after our men." Elsa grinned.

Jesse returned after awhile, long enough for the women to finish their drinks and for Elsa to do a little browsing of the internet searching for anything more on her Jake Baldwin. As Jesse entered the room, she gasped and quickly took her hands off the keyboard as if it suddenly burst into flames.

"What were you doing?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, Jesse. Just trying to look for something on the 'net about Jake Baldwin."

"And?"

"Nothing that I could pinpoint to him. He's not the only one out there." Her shoulders slumped and she leaned into the table. "So what's the word?"

"Dani will go with one of you. She needs to know which one so she can make arrangements."

"And what about Card?" Maddie asked.

Jesse shook his head. "He's not coming. He ordered me to go with one of you. Apparently, he's managed to get the heat off me, so I'm in the clear to go back to the States."

Maddie's mouth twisted. "How nice. Now why couldn't he do that for Michael, Fiona, and Sam?"

"He's workin' on it, Maddie! Just chill! In the meantime, we've gotta find them."

"I don't care who goes with me." Elsa said and turned to him. "Sorry, Jesse, but I just want to get to Grandy and find out what those people know about Sam."

He nodded. "Okay, I'll go with Maddie. I'll let Dani know to meet you at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport."

"She's not in Miami? We could hook up there," Elsa said. "I have to go back and pack a little bag anyway."

"No, it'll be safer if you meet up in a more neutral location." He smiled slightly. "You can say you're going on business, meeting with a realtor or something to look at locations for a new hotel."

A bright smile crossed Elsa's face. "I like it, Jesse! Brilliant!" She jumped up from her seat. "So, let's get to it, then! Let's go!"

"How did you two get here, anyway?"

"I have a private jet," Elsa replied. "Why?"

"I talked to Levi. He'll take Maddie and me back to Miami in his private jet, and you take yours. It's better for us to split up."

"Okay. Good luck, you two!" Elsa smiled, gave them each a hug, and followed Levi out of the house.

Jesse let out a breath. "That woman..."

"She's madly in love, Jesse. Haven't you ever felt that way about a woman, that you would do anything for her?"

He developed a faraway look as he replied, "Yes, I have, Maddie. And it scared me then as much as this scares me now."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Elsa tapped her foot on the floor as she sat in the cabin of her jet heading back to Miami. She called her assistant Rosemary. "Rosie, it's me, Elsa."

"Where are you, ma'am? You left so quickly this morning! I didn't see anything on your schedule..."

"Something came up. Listen, I want you to pack a bag for me for oh, four days. And then I want you to meet me at the hangar at the airport. I'm leaving for Dallas in a few hours."

"Dallas, ma'am?"

"Yes, I just got a hot tip on some prime real estate that will be perfect for a new hotel. I want to check it out while I have the chance. It could go fast."

"Okay. I'll meet you there."

"Thank you, Rosie." Ahhh, Rosemary! You never ask too many questions, just enough to get the job done. I like that!

The airplane landed and was refueled by the time Rosemary appeared with the suitcase and a suit bag. "You'll be gone a few days?"

"Yes, so any meetings or appointments I had, please cancel them, Rosemary. Reschedule them for next week, if you can."

"Yes, ma'am. Good luck on your trip! Are you sure you don't need me to come with you?"

"It'll be fine, Rosie. I'm planning on having a little me time while I'm there, so it won't be all business."

Rosemary smiled. "That's good. I've been worried about you lately. With Mr. Axe gone, well, I've seen how it's affected you." She paused. "I hate seeing you so sad."

Elsa blinked. She hadn't realized that anyone noticed. None of her other staff said a word. "Thanks, Rosie. But if everything works out, I'll be happier again soon." She gave her a smile. "I'll see you in a few days!"

"See you soon!" Rosemary waved and backed up to the limousine. She got in, and the driver left as the airplane taxied to the runway.

The private plane touched down in Dallas and parked near an empty hangar. Elsa got out, stepped down the stairs, and wondered how she would find Agent Dani Pearce, but Agent Pearce found her.

"Hi," Dani said with a grin as she approached. "You're Elsa, right?"

"Yes, I am."

"Agent Pearce." The younger woman shook her hand. "But you can call me Dani."

"How'd you know who I was?"

Dani raised her sunglasses and looked into Elsa's eyes. "Sam showed me a picture of you once. I'd know you anywhere, especially after the way he talked about you." She nodded. "He loves you more than anything. I hope you know that."

"I do," Elsa nodded in reply. "That's why I'm doing this. I don't want to lose him."

"Good. Neither do we. So, let's go. I've got a pickup truck I rented." They started walking toward the older vehicle, and Dani looked down at Elsa's outfit. "Do you have anything more casual that you can change into?"

"Yes, I do." She waved her hand, and a man came running with her luggage. "If there's a place I can change, I'll put on some jeans and a shirt. I could get back on the plane and change there if I need to."

"That might be best."

Dani waited near the truck while Elsa trotted back to the airplane and changed. She left the suit bag behind and took only her suitcase, which was full of more casual clothes. She hurried to the truck, stuffed her case in the back of the crew cab, and Dani drove them away from the airport.

"You know where this Grandy, Texas is," Elsa asked her.

"Yep," Dani replied with a drawl and a smile. "We'll be there in about two or three hours, so you might as well relax."

So far it had been a long day. Elsa was only too happy to sit back and watch the miles go by. Each one got her closer to her Sammy, and as much as she would have liked to make them fly, patience would reap rewards. She knew that. She believed it with every bit of her being. She and Dani would find him and bring him home.

By the time they crossed the border of Grandy, Texas, it was late afternoon. The sun was in the west, lighting everything with a warm tinge as it slowly sank to the horizon. Dani found a motel on the west edge of town and pulled into the dusty lot.

"We'll get a room here, grab a bite, and see if we can find anyone yet tonight who's seen Sam... I mean, Jake."

"Good plan."

"I just hope they have a vacancy, because it looks like this is probably the only motel in town."

She didn't really care about a place to lay her head. She just wanted to go in search of her man. Elsa wouldn't admit how hungry she was. She hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast, and other than some water to keep hydrated throughout the day, she was running on empty. She followed Dani to the office, put down some cash on a room, and the two women turned toward the door.

"Wait a second," Elsa spoke softly to Dani, then turned toward the man at the counter. "Excuse me, Sir, is this the only motel in town?"

"Sure is. This ain't a very big town, you'll see."

Elsa nodded. "So if anyone was planning on staying for awhile, they'd come here?"

"Yep, if they don't have any relatives that can put 'em up."

"Do you happen to remember someone named Jake Baldwin staying here recently?"

A slow smile stretched across his face. "Oh yeah, I remember Jake. It ain't often ya meet a real live hero!"

Elsa asked, "When was he here?"

"Couple of weeks ago? Three weeks? Lordy, that time goes by fast!" The man shook his head. "Still think it was a darn shame how he was such a big hero and then bolted outta town. He musta been a real humble guy, you know? Didn't want the accolades, that's what Darrin said."

"Darrin?" Elsa gave the man her full attention and came back to the counter. Dani stood beside her listening intently.

"Yeah, Darrin Crosby. He owns the fillin' station and garage up on the corner of Main and Wilson. Jake worked fer him when his truck broke down, paid fer the repairs by helpin' him at the shop. Then Jake stayed on awhile and made some money before he up and left all of a sudden. So I heard."

"That's very helpful, Sir. Thank you," Elsa said with a smile.

"Who are you, anyway? You some reporter lookin' fer Jake?"

"No, just a friend. Thanks." Elsa turned away, hesitated, and turned back to the desk. "Which room did he stay in?"

"Number six." He grinned. "It's empty right now, and I could let ya have it fer another ten bucks."

Elsa pressed the key for the room he gave them into his palm and said, "We'll take it." His eyes widened and a raspy wheeze came out of him when she laid the crisp bill on top of the key. Then he turned, retrieved the key for room six, and handed it to her. "Thanks!" She left the office with Dani on her heels.

"Nice work back there, Elsa!"

"He was easy. Did you see the glint in his eyes? He was pretty proud to have rented a room to a hero!" She grinned. "And now we have a key to the room he stayed in. Think there's a possibility he left something hidden in there?"

"I don't know. When we go in, I want to check for listening devices anyway, so if he did, we'll find it." She stopped in front of the door with the number six on it. The key jingled on the keyring as Dani took it, opened the door, and carefully swept the room for bugs. "Okay, we're clear. I didn't find anything unusual."

Disappointed, Elsa locked the door behind her. "Now what are we going to do?"

"Let's go get something to eat. I don't know about you, but I'm starving!"

Dani parked the truck in front of their room and the two women walked the short distance east into town. On the main street they found a diner. Other than a sub shop, it was the only restaurant.

As Elsa studied the menu, she asked Dani in a low tone, "Are we going to talk to the other people in here?"

"Not yet. I think we should talk to that Darrin guy first." She cut herself off when the waitress stopped at their table. She placed her order, and Elsa followed. After the woman walked away, she continued. "If Jake was working for Darrin, then he'll know more about him than anyone. It'll also lower our chances of getting people suspicious if we limit who we talk to about him."

"You're right. I wasn't thinking about that." She met Dani's eyes. "I'm sorry. Jesse was right. It's a good thing I've got you along, because I wouldn't know the first thing about finding out information without letting everybody and their uncle know I'm looking for information!"

Dani laughed softly. "It's just part of the game, Elsa. You'll learn soon enough."

As they ate their dinner, the women couldn't help but notice that they attracted attention from some of the locals. Dani took it in stride. She knew what it was like in a small town, and that everyone would be keeping an eye on them. By morning, Darrin might even know they were in town, but not who they were or why. She came up with a plan and told Elsa about it after they returned to the room and settled in for the night.

Elsa sat on the bed and pulled a small stone out of her sandal. "I wonder if Sam went to that little bar I saw kind of kitty corner to the diner. Maybe people in there would know something. We could go in for a drink and put out some feelers, maybe, and..."

"Look, I know how eager you are to find Sam, but I've got a better idea." Dani sat on the bed and brushed her hair as she spoke. "Tomorrow, I'm going to tinker with the truck a little, so that we have a problem with it. Then I'll drive it over to the shop and while Darrin is looking at it, we can interview him."

"That seems easy enough."

"Only this time, let me do the talking. We might have to handle this guy more delicately. I doubt he has starry eyes for the town hero."

"He better not!" Elsa exclaimed and laughed. "Well, we better try to get some sleep, although it's doubtful on these mattresses. Seriously, how can they run a motel with beds like these?"

"I suppose you could teach them a few things," Dani said with a smirk as she set her brush on the dresser. "Which one do you want?"

Elsa knew what Dani was thinking. "He could have slept in either one of these." She studied the two beds for a few moments. "Knowing what I do about Sammy, he'd want to sleep facing the door, but not right by it. And he sleeps on the left side of the bed, so, I'll take that one." She moved to the bed on her right and slipped under the covers.

"Night, Elsa." She turned out the lamp on the stand between the beds.

"Hey Dani, do you think we should have aliases? When I signed the register, I used Eleanor Dorsey as my name." She paused. "It was my mother's name."

"That's fine. I'll be Jenna Lomax. I've used that one before, but it's not something someone's going to trace to me."

"Okay. 'Night."

"'Night."

Elsa closed her eyes and stretched her arm across the pillow beside her and pulled it closer. She sniffed the scratchy linen, but it smelled like bleach and harsh detergents, nothing at all like her Sammy. It dashed her fantasy. She swallowed back the disappointment and held the pillow close anyway as she drifted off to sleep. When he left her in Miami, Elsa demanded that the cleaning staff leave his pillow alone. Over the past few months she slept with it like a teddy bear, and she handled it so much, his scent began to fade. When she got desperate, she splashed it with the cologne he left behind to make it last longer. I'm so pathetic, but I can't help it! I want him home!

She dreamed of the day when it was safe for Sammy and his friends to go back to Miami. Maybe they could hide away somewhere, where just the two of them could be alone for a few weeks, a month, however long it took to erase the lonely months. But she knew him. He would be happy just to stay at the hotel and visit his haunts again. They missed him at Carlito's, no doubt. Yet she was certain that no one missed him as much as she did.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"This must be the place," Dani said as she pulled up to the open garage door. The truck tires rolled over a hose on the cement, and a high pitched bell announced their arrival with a quick ting ting. A handsome man with closely cropped dark hair came out of the office, a pleasant smile on his face as he squinted into the morning sun.

"Mornin', ladies! How can I help ya?"

Dani glanced at the name tag on his shirt. "You're Darrin."

"Yes, ma'am! Need a fill up?"

"No, I need my engine looked at. I had a really hard time starting it this morning, and it didn't want to stay running when it was in idle."

"Maybe a stuck valve. See if ya can get it started up and drive it into the bay there, and I'll check it out."

"Thanks, Darrin." Dani smiled, got into the truck, and after some cranking, it fired up. She drove it inside under his direction and stopped. The truck immediately died. "See what I mean?"

"Yeah, no problem. I'll take a look at it and probly have it fixed this mornin' yet. If ya ladies wanna go down the street to the cafe there, I'll come and get ya when I'm done."

"How long do you think this will take?"

"Let me take a look first, and then I'll do an estimate on time and money." He popped the hood on the truck, secured it, and leaned over the engine. After a few minutes of pulling and prodding, he stood straight. "Yep, looks like a stuck valve. It shouldn't take too long to fix, and it won't cost ya that much. Fifty bucks, tops."

"Alright, sounds good," Dani said. "If you don't mind, we'll just stick around while you work."

"Suit yerself." Darrin immediately went to work and forgot about the two women hovering nearby.

"Is this your shop," Dani asked.

"Yep." He grunted as he worked to free a bolt.

"You work it alone?"

"Most times. I had a fella in here a few weeks ago, worked for me for awhile." He came out from under the hood and straightened his cap. Grease from his fingers stained the bill. "He was a real nice guy, worked hard. I was really upset that he had ta leave."

"It's hard to find good help."

"Yeah, don't I know it! 'Specially in this town! Can't get any kids outta high school, they jest wanna leave town and go ta college or inta the military." He shook his head. "Evrybody else, well, the other guys I tried jest didn't have the aptitude, ya know?"

Dani smiled and leaned her arms on the fender. "So, this guy must have been something special."

"Yeah, he was." Suddenly, a shadow of a frown crossed his face. "Well, I'll, uh, get ta work here and have this fixed in a jiffy!"

"What's the matter?"

"Nothin'. Jest don't wanna waste yer valuable time." He tried a smile, but it was uneasy.

Dani knew in an instant what was wrong. She hesitated, glanced at Elsa, and then got under the hood with him. "Darrin, did Jake ask you not to tell anyone about him if someone came around asking questions?"

"I... I got no idea what yer talkin' about."

"Uh huh." She pulled her credentials from her purse and held them up for him to clearly see. "My name is Danielle Pearce. I'm with the CIA. That woman with me is Elsa, Jake's girlfriend."

Darrin glanced at her, shock written on his face, and quickly turned away. "I don't know nothin'."

"Darrin, please. This is life or death. If you know anything about Jake, it's very important that you tell us. His life may be in danger, and the sooner we figure out where he is right now, the better off he'll be."

Darrin turned back to them. He studied her identification. To him, it looked legitimate. He let out a sigh of surrender and straightened. "Okay. When Jake came in here, he had some expensive repairs to his truck that he didn't have the cash fer, so he right away offered to work fer me to pay it off. He did, too. Busted his butt takin' care of my customers." Darrin stuck his head back under the hood. "When word got out, a whole bunch of people who were takin' their vehicles to the next town started comin' in here." He turned his head. "I'm sorry, Miz... Agent Pearce, ye probly don't care about my little sob story, missin' Jake and all the business he brought me."

"It's okay. We'd like to hear more about him." Dani gave him a smile of encouragement.

"It's not like I know a whole lot 'bout him. Jake pretty much kept his personal life private. He stayed at the motel, came in here ev'ry day and worked hard, and when he paid off his debt, I started payin' him fair and square. He seemed to like the work."

The bell sounded, signaling that Darrin had another customer.

"Be right back."

It was a customer with a car that needed fixing, so he took a little while working with them. Then he was back, and the customer left with the promise that the car would be ready later that day.

"How long was Jake working for you," Elsa asked.

"About a month, I'd say." He got under the hood and tugged on something, and the whole truck shook. "Dang, ya got somethin' stuck in here good! No wonder ya got problems, Agent Pearce!"

"Please, call me Dani."

"Alright, Dani. You ladies care fer some coffee? I got some in the office. Or ya can grab a soda from the little fridge under my desk." He looked at Dani and grinned. "It's my lil' stash fer customers. The machine out there's fer the ones that stop by jest fer a drink and to shoot the breeze."

"Thanks." Dani acknowledged the invitation but didn't make a move. She stayed where she was. "So, did Jake ever tell you about himself? Where he was from, or where he was going?"

Darrin pulled back from the truck and gave her a hard look. "Is he in trouble with the government?"

"It's a long story I don't really want to get into. Let's just say we're trying to help him." Dani paused. "Please, is there anything else you can tell us about him or where he went?"

"Not really," Darrin answered with a shrug. "We talked about baseball and typical guy stuff, y'know, but he never wanted to talk about himself. I know he was in the Navy. My wife figured that out."

"How did she do that?"

Darrin finished up the repair as he told them the story of the day that Jake saved the two boys from the experiment that went wrong in the Jackson family's garage. He laughed. "Those boys caused a lotta damage. The Jacksons'll have to rebuild that garage, and the car inside was totaled. They weren't too happy 'bout that, but at least Corey survived the ordeal. Their momma was disappointed that Jake left town so fast after that." He paused and thought. "Was kinda strange how he was like... like he was afraid of the attention. He was always so low profile. Don't know if it was shyness or what. I got a feelin' somethin' else was goin' on, but he couldn't tell us. And I was like the closest thing to a friend he had around here."

"Sounds like Jake," Elsa said.

"Yeah? I tell ya what, though, he never once hesitated when it came to savin' them kids. He just tore down the two blocks to their house, stopped maybe a few seconds to get a gander at what was goin' on, and then he went in. He came out with Corey, laid him on the grass and jest started doin' that mouth to mouth stuff. Saved that boy's life for sure."

He told them about the aftermath, and how Jake wound up at his home. "My wife discovered that tattoo on his arm and she went lookin' on the internet. Wasn't long after that he left. He shoulda stayed overnight at least. He had a burn on his back, and my wife coulda taken care of it."

Elsa looked at him with alarm. "A burn? Was it serious?"

"Second degree, Katie said. He had some meds fer the pain, but he left 'em behind. Katie's still got 'em, but she was gonna take 'em back to the clinic fer disposal." He wiped his hands on a shop towel and smiled. "I think we're all set now, if ya wanna try it out."

"Okay, thanks." Dani got into the truck and turned the key. The engine started right up. She grinned.

"Alrighty, now take yer foot off the gas and see how it idles."

She did so, and the engine practically purred like a kitten. After a few seconds, she turned it off and got out. "Wow, I think it sounds even better since you fixed it!"

"Yeah, shouldn't give ya any trouble now. I cleaned out some gunk from the other valves while I was in there. No charge."

"Thanks, Darrin. I appreciate it." Dani followed him into the office to settle up the bill. She handed him sixty dollars, ten more than they agreed. With a smile, she asked, "Do you mind if Elsa and I swing by your house and talk to your wife about Jake?"

"No, not at all." Darrin looked at them strangely. "But only if you tell me what's really goin' on here. Why are you so interested in him?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that." Dani looked deeply into his eyes as she spoke. "It's a matter of... national security."

Darrin paled, and his mouth dropped open. "He ain't like some terrorist or somethin', is he?"

Dani laughed. "No, he's not. He's one of the good guys." Her expression turned serious. "But if anyone else comes around asking about him, deny everything."

Darrin dropped into his chair, and the women looked at him with concern. "This is serious, ain't it. It's probly best that I don't know nothin'. I promised Jake that if anybody came around askin' about him, I wouldn't say a word. I'd deny I even knew him." He took off his hat and slapped it on his thigh. "And what'd I do? I flapped my gums like a kid outta school!"

"Yeah, you did, but we're the good guys, too. Anybody else, be suspicious. Very suspicious, even if they show up with a CIA badge." She met his scared eyes. "There are things going on here that you don't need to know about. But the information you gave us might help us find Jake and save him from the guys who aren't so nice."

Darrin looked up at the two women as he tried to digest what he'd heard. Then he reached into the fridge and pulled out some sodas. "Here. I don't know 'bout you, but I could sure use one of these." He popped the caps off, took a long swig of his, and said, "Come on. I'll close up the shop and take ya to meet my wife. She's workin' at the clinic right now."

"Thanks, Darrin," Elsa said.

He looked into her eyes and saw that this woman loved Jake and was eager to find him. Darrin locked up the garage with Dani's truck still inside. He figured that might be safer than leaving it out in the open, if things were really as bad as this agent implied. He walked with them the three blocks to the clinic and entered to find a few people waiting to see the doctor. Katie was behind the receptionist window looking at a chart.

"Hey, honey!"

"Darrin, are you okay?" Concern clouded her features and she entered the waiting area.

"I'm fine, darlin'. Can you, uh, come outside fer a minute?"

"Sure." She set the chart on the counter. "Mary, can you put this back? Thanks." She followed Darrin and the two women outside, and they stopped at the side of the building away from traffic. "Darrin, what's goin' on?"

Dani decided to skip the coy disguises now that Darrin knew who she was. She pulled out her credentials. "I'm Agent Dani Pearce, CIA. We talked to Darrin, and we know about Jake. Your husband said that you took care of him."

"Jake," Katie breathed his name and stood with her mouth hanging open a little. Then she recovered and shook her head. "I'm not sure what I can tell you. He came to our house with an injury, and I didn't do anything for him, just helped make him comfortable. He left not long after he arrived, and he left his medication behind."

"Do you still have it?"

"Yes, I do. Funny, I've had it in my pocket all mornin' and jest never got 'round to disposin' of it." She pulled it out and held it up, but pulled it out of Dani's reach. "If I give this to ya, promise you'll give it to Jake when ya see him?"

"I promise. Although, hopefully by now he won't need it." Dani smiled.

"Alright. Here ya go."

Dani glanced at the label. She didn't see anything that would help them find Sam on it, so after a few seconds, she handed it back to Katie. "Why don't you just get rid of it? Like I said, he shouldn't need it anymore, right?"

"No, he shouldn't. I'll take care of it."

"Thanks. And thank you both for being a friend to him while he was here. In his situation, friends are hard to come by."

"That's why yer tryin' to find him?" Katie asked with a deep furrow to her brow.

"Yes. And like I told Darrin, we're very concerned for his well-being. He's in danger, and we need to locate him."

"I see." She hesitated, biting her bottom lip. "I heard from one of the locals who came in here the other day that Jake was seen up in Alberta about two weeks after he left here."

"Alberta, Canada?"

"Naw!" Katie laughed. "It's a little town, well, bigger'n this town, anyway. He was buyin' a truck with some guy."

Dani let out a breath. "Do you think you could tell us who said they saw him?"

"I'm sorry, I can't. They were a patient here."

"Okay. So where can we find Alberta?"

Darrin gave them directions, and after Dani and Elsa retrieved the truck, they thanked him for his assistance and prepared to leave.

"Hey, if ya see Jake... can ya tell him I miss him?"

"Sure." Dani smiled. "Maybe you'll see him again some day." She and Elsa waved goodbye and went on their way. They checked out of the motel and headed down the county road that would lead them to Alberta.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Jesse and Maddie had an even bigger challenge trying to find Michael and Fiona. Based on his check of Fiona's fake social, he discovered that her last job was as a manicurist in a nail salon in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. Maddie approached the salon and questioned the owner.

"I can't really tell you much about Shannon," the woman said, but the look on her face told Maddie she was being cautious.

"Shannon used to do my nails in St. Louis, and I was hoping that I could have her do them again, since I just moved here."

"Sorry. I don't know where she went. One day she came in and said she needed her last paycheck and had to leave town. It was an emergency." She paused. "I gave it to her in cash, because I figured if she was in a hurry she wouldn't have time to run to the bank. She was a good employee. My regulars miss her."

Maddie grinned. "See? Now you know why I want to find her! Do you have any idea where she was going?"

"Sorry. I think her husband was into some tech stuff. Maybe they went to California or something."

"Thanks. That's a little far for a set of nails," Maddie said with a disappointed grimace. She left the shop and dropped into the passenger seat of the car.

"Well?"

"Nothing. She knows absolutely nothing." She let out a breath and lit up a cigarette. "I knew this was a waste of time! Although, she said that Shannon's husband had some kind of IT background, and she thought maybe they might have gone to California."

"Yeah. While you were in there, I talked to Dani. She said that she and Elsa found out that Sam was definitely in Grandy and moved on." He gave her a quick rundown what Dani learned about an accident, Sam's time at a ranch, and how he obtained a new truck. "After he left the ranch, he went north."

"North. Probably wherever he met up with Michael and Fiona. But after that?"

"Looks like we all hit the wall, Maddie. Let's go find a motel for the night and I'll do some more digging, see if I can find something. I have a feeling that California might be the place to start."

"That's a big state, Jesse."

"Yeah. Don't worry, Maddie. We'll find 'em eventually."

Yes, but will we be in time? Maddie sighed and turned toward the window.

Shortly after Jesse and Maddie settled into their rooms, Dani called Jesse again. "Hey, Dani, what's up?"

"I was sitting here stewing, and I have an idea. I went looking for old friends and associates of Sam's, and I found something very interesting."

"What is it?"

"Sam's ex wife is married to an old high school buddy of Sam's, named Kurt Monroe. After graduation, Kurt worked some odd jobs, and eventually he joined the Marines. I think we should start with him, see if he knows anything about Sam's whereabouts." She paused. "Any luck with Michael and Fiona?"

"None," Jesse replied. "So where is this guy?"

"He lives in Encino." She gave Jesse the man's address.

"Okay, we'll head out tomorrow and meet you there. Sound good?"

"It'll take a couple days for us to arrive, unless we drive straight through. Never mind. I'll ditch the truck at the nearest airstrip, see if I can trade it for a ride for Elsa and me." She said. "I have this feeling that time is running out. We can't mess around trying to find them."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. "Maddie and I'll get on a plane in Des Moines and meet you there. I'll call you back when our travel arrangements are set."

"Okay, thanks." He got up and went next door, and he knocked on Maddie's. When she peered through the space between the door and the jamb, the chain preventing it from going any further, he said, "I just talked to Dani, and I arranged for us to fly to LA tomorrow. We'll meet her and Elsa at the airport and then we're going to check out a guy named Kurt Monroe. He's an old friend of Sam's, and hopefully he knows where he is."

"Oh, good." She breathed a sigh of relief. Then she smiled up at him. "Thank you, Jesse. Now I think I might be able to get some sleep."

"Night, Maddie." Jesse returned to his room. Maybe you can sleep, but I'm afraid the nightmare is just starting. He went to bed and hoped that the next day would hurry up and arrive, because he was getting tired of hiding and running what seemed like a fruitless chase to find his friends. His phone rang in the middle of the night and woke him. Jesse ran his hand over the bedside table, found his phone in the dark, and answered it.

"Yeah, who is it?"

"It's Tom Card, Jesse."

"Card. You're calling me at four in the morning?"

"It's after five here, bucko. Up and at 'em!" Card answered smartly. "Pearce called me with a report last night, and I did some checking. This Monroe guy, I found an article in the Encino local rag about a gang hit on his house several days ago."

Jesse sat up, his eyes wide open. "A gang hit?"

"Don't worry, they weren't gunning for Sam. Monroe's sister-in-law was shot, and she barely survived. The article mentioned that a friend had been visiting him." He paused. "Guess who that friend was? No, don't bother, your brain's too fuzzy right now. It was our buddy Jake Baldwin."

Jesse sat up at the news. "Woah. We're going to LA tomorrow to meet Dani and Elsa, and we were planning to interview this Monroe guy."

"Not anymore. I did some more digging, and I found another buddy of Sam's who was contacted by Jake Baldwin. His name is Roger Holt. Roger had a little one-on-one with the west coast CIA director to give up some dirt, and he told him that Michael, Fiona, and Sam are all in San Francisco right now, enlisting the aid of another of Sam's buddies, trying to find Anson."

"Are they having any luck?"

"I don't know. You need to track them down. This buddy of Sam's owns a company called Roxy Communications. I'd start there."

"Thanks, Tom."

"Don't mention it. Look, I know you don't think the world of me, but I really do want to see Team Westen back together."

"Even with Fiona."

"Yes. She's proven herself to the agency. She's a good woman, a good partner for Michael. I trained him, and I know who's a fine fit for him. That fiery little Irish woman is it."

Jesse knew that was true. "Okay, well, we'll have to rearrange our travel plans."

"I already called Dani, and she's got that covered on her end."

"Great. Maddie and I will take care of ours, and I'll talk to you later, Tom."

"Yeah. Be careful, Jesse. I don't like having all these civilians involved."

"I know that. It always makes me kind of squirrelly myself." Jesse snorted. "'Night."

Wow. That was a lot to take in. Jesse lay down and contemplated the fact that Card was able to do so much in so little time. He was a little envious, and annoyed. Due to his limited access to government files, so much time had been wasted. He thanked God that Anson had been cut off from so many of the same resources as well. It kind of evened the playing field.

Maddie was much shorter than Jesse, but she was so anxious to find Dani and Elsa, Jesse had to stretch his legs to keep up with her after they got off the plane. "There they are, Maddie." He directed her shifting eyes to the two women who stood among other travelers in a hub containing dozens of seats with boards listing arrivals and departures.

"Hello," Dani said with a thin smile. She recognized Maddie's nervousness for what it was and understood. "I took the liberty of renting a car, so we just need to go out to the lot, get in, and head downtown. I have the location of Roxy Communications."

"Oh, good! Let's go!"

"Mrs. Westen, relax. We have to do this calmly." Dani held Maddie back and slowed her down. She fell into step with her and held onto Maddie's elbow until she was sure that the woman wouldn't bolt.

Dani led them to the rental car lot and opened up the Jeep's back so everyone could store their luggage. Then they got in, and she drove them to the city center. No one said a word, but she imagined that thoughts collided in their heads as much as they did in hers. She hoped that they would find Michael, Fiona, and Sam together. At least Sam would be around, since this was his friend. According to Card, they were all in the city together, so she really had nothing to worry about. But if Anson found them... she tried not to think about that.

She located a parking garage nearby and took a spot. The four walked to the building, rode the elevator up to the fifth floor, and entered the reception area.

"Can I help you?" The same receptionist smiled sweetly up at the small group.

"We're here to see Ms. Fox. She's probably in a meeting with some friends of ours."

"Oh, Ms. Fox has been in some serious consultation with a few people for the past couple of days. She's not seeing anyone else right now. I'm sorry."

"Yes, I know that." Dani held out her credentials. "We're here to be part of that meeting."

The receptionist studied the CIA ID card intently. Then she glanced up at Dani, returned her attention to the credentials, and hit a button on her phone. The woman was well trained to spot a forgery, and she must have been satisfied that it was legitimate. "Ms. Fox? I have an Agent Danielle Pearce here with three others to see you and your clients." She listened a moment. "Yes, ma'am, I'll hold them." She broke off the contact and swept out her arm toward a line of chairs against the wall. "Please have a seat. Ms. Fox will be with you shortly."

By the time they seated themselves, Tricia came through the doors. She studied each one of them with a critical eye. "Which one of you ladies is Agent Pearce?"

"I am." Dani stood and approached her. "I'm here with Jesse Porter. He works with Michael. And this is Michael's mother, Madeline Westen, and Sam's girlfriend, Elsa Pfister."

Tricia's eyes locked onto Elsa, sizing up the woman who won Sam's heart. Even in her casual clothes, she looked elegant. Tricia's jealous heart couldn't see why Sam chose her. "You're Elsa?"

"Yes." Elsa stood next to Dani.

She thought hard and then asked, "What is Sam's favorite drink?"

"You mean when he's not drinking beer? A mojito at Carlito's." She smiled. "Come on, Ms. Fox, surely you can come up with a harder question than that if you're trying to trip me up. How about asking me where Sam was the first time he said he loved me?" She paused, the memories of that day still raw. "He was in the Everglades, and he thought the woman who kidnapped him was going to kill him. He called me and left a message saying he loved me. I was in a meeting, or I would have picked up."

With a sad little smile, Tricia responded. "That's exactly what Sam told me. Come in."

She led them through the doors and into her office. With so many people, she was glad for the space. Michael, Fiona, and Sam sat at the conference table poring over the computer and printed files, and when the door opened, they looked up. No one said a word as Tricia ushered Elsa, Maddie, Dani, and Jesse inside. For a few seconds, they stood looking at the three sitting at the table. Then Sam pushed himself out of his chair, rounded the long table, and snatched Elsa out of the line. Lips crushed together as arms wrapped around each other. Michael and Fiona rose in synch and approached Maddie.

"Ma." That's all Michael could say before a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Oh, honey," Maddie whispered through her tears as she took him into her arms and rocked him back and forth. "It's so good to see you safe!" She reached out an arm and pulled Fiona into the embrace. "And you, my daughter-in-law!"

Jesse, Dani, and Tricia stood back and watched the reunions. He gave Tricia an embarrassed smile and held out his hand. "I'm Jesse, the fifth wheel in all this."

"Just one of them, Jesse," Dani added softly.

Tricia laughed and shook his hand. She spoke softly. "Now you know how I felt when I found out how crazy Sam was over Elsa. I reserved my belief until now." She glanced at the couple. The two were still locked in an embrace, but Sam held her face in his hands and planted small kisses all over it. Tricia cleared her throat to distract him.

"Oh, uh, sorry," Sam laughed nervously as he tore his attention away from Elsa and looked at Tricia, but he still held onto her tightly. "I couldn't help myself. I missed this woman terribly!"

She tried not to look envious. "I can tell. Maybe we should halt this investigation for the rest of the day, so you can all spend time with your... loved ones... and we'll get right back on it tomorrow. In the meantime, I can look into some more avenues."

"I'll be happy to stick around here and see what you've got," Dani said. "Jesse?"

"Oh yeah, let's go over this and see where you're at so tomorrow we'll all be on the same page."

"You're sure you don't want us around," Michael asked even while he still held onto Maddie.

"I'm sure. Go and enjoy your family time." Tricia smiled. She glanced at Sam and Elsa. "You too."

She didn't have to ask Sam. With a grin and a quick goodbye, he and Elsa strode out of the office like he was on a mission. All the while, his arm was around her waist and he wouldn't let go. After all he'd been through, he was afraid this was some sort of strange daydream and that if he woke up she'd be gone. He wanted to get her alone so badly, it almost hurt! But he had to restrain himself when they entered the elevator and found themselves with a bunch of other people. The doors opened and deposited them in the lobby.

"Where are you staying," Elsa asked.

"Some cheap little place on the outskirts of the city. Why?" He grinned.

"That's unacceptable. Come with me, we'll find someplace nearby." She pulled out of his grasp and took his hand, smiling at him the entire time. "I think I saw a hotel a couple blocks from here. It's one of my competitors in Miami, but sometimes a girl's just gotta do what a girl's gotta do."

He laughed with her and let her lead him up the hill. Squeezing her hand, he replied, "I couldn't agree more. I can't believe how much I missed you! And I still can't believe you're here!"

"Well, you were expecting to see me in Colorado. Why is this so odd?"

He let out a deep breath, pulled out of her grip and put his arm around her shoulders. "Until Mike gave me the message from Maddie that you deciphered my code, I wasn't counting on seeing you because I didn't want to be disappointed. I hoped you'd be there, but this... this was unexpected. Not in a million years would I have thought you'd find me here."

"Why not?" She stopped in front of the hotel and caressed his cheek, her eyes filled with emotion. "Sammy, I love you more than anything. I couldn't live without you anymore, so I decided I would do whatever it took to find you. Even at the risk of my own life, I was determined to look for you until you and I were together again."

"Ohh, Elsa," he groaned and cut himself off as he kissed her. When he came up for air, he found her just as breathless as he. He smiled. "Let's go get a room, huh, Baby?"

When she booked the suite, Elsa didn't have enough cash, so she used her corporate credit card. Then the lovers took the key, rode the elevator to the top floor, and hurried into the room. Sam made sure the Do Not Disturb sign hung on the handle and the door was locked, and he and Elsa spent the afternoon in a homecoming that was far from home, but neither of them cared.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Michael and Fiona took Madeline out to lunch. Pearce gave him some cash, just in case he didn't have enough, and he silently thanked her as they left the office. The three stepped out onto the street and saw Sam and Elsa turn and enter a hotel a couple of blocks away up the hill.

"Where are we going to eat," Fiona asked, ignoring the couple. She spread a hand over her expanding belly and said, "Baby and I are ready for lunch."

Michael eyed her and suggested, "We could go to that diner across the street."

"Oh, heavens no, Michael! We're in San Francisco," Fiona exclaimed with a horrified expression. "I want to go down to the Fisherman's Wharf and get some fresh seafood. How about you, Madeline?"

"Anything sounds good to me. I'm just glad to be with the two of you!" She pulled Fiona to her side and hugged her.

"Okay, let's figure out how to get there."

The three walked a few blocks, found a cable car that took them right to the waterfront, and once there, it was easy to find a restaurant. The one they chose was busy but worth the wait, as they soon discovered. After feasting on the good food and catching up on their long months apart, the three took a long walk and checked out some of the other sites.

"Fiona, honey, are you okay to be walking around this much, and in those shoes?" Maddie looked down at her wedge sandals.

"I'm fine, Madeline. Walking is good for me." She swept her hair back and raised her face toward the sun. "Isn't it strange? The sun feels different here."

"It's not so humid," Michael responded. He enjoyed the company and the sights, yet he kept his eye on the crowds, looking out for trouble. "But I think Ma's right. You should probably take it a little bit easy. Maybe we should go back to Roxy Communications."

"Why? Michael, is something wrong?" Fiona glanced at him and then casually looked around the area.

"I feel like we're being watched, Fi. We need to go back."

"Alright, let's go. Slowly, though." Maddie urged. "We don't want whoever is following us to get the idea that we know they're following us."

Michael smiled, put an arm around his mother's shoulders, and pulled her close. "Ma, you're amazing." He kissed her temple, released her, and put his other arm around Fiona.

"So, are you kind of glad you let me get involved," Maddie asked with a pleased smile.

"Yes, strangely enough, I am." He glanced at her. "You've turned into a real asset, Ma."

"Well, I learned a lot from you over the years."

"And you don't think I learned anything from you all those years growing up? Part of who I am is because of you. I never would have had what it took to be a spy without your help."

"Gee, I don't know if you're thanking me or scolding me."

"Despite what we're going through, it was a good thing. You indirectly helped me save a lot of peoples' lives. Thanks, Ma."

"You're welcome, honey."

Fiona stayed at Michael's side and listened to every word of the conversation, holding back her emotions. She'd never heard him speak to his mother this way before. Being on the run must have broken something in him, that last piece of emotional armor fell away, and he was becoming the man she always hoped he would be. Fiona knew he loved his mother. Her intrusions in his life when he was first burned annoyed him, but deep down she understood that if Madeline hadn't done what she did, things could have gone a lot differently. And not in a good way. She sensed that Michael believed it as well, and this was his way of showing how grateful he was. No matter what happened with Anson, this moment in time was something she would treasure forever, and she hoped that Michael would as well.

They returned to Tricia's office, and when the three entered the reception area, Michael glanced around. "Where's the receptionist?"

"Maybe they went out for lunch," Maddie suggested.

"No. Somehow I don't think they'd leave the office unsecured if they did." Michael pulled out his gun and said to Fiona, "You stay here with my mom. I'm going to check out Tricia's office."

"Michael, be careful!"

"I will, Ma." He gave her a smile and slipped past the frosted doors. The offices along the hall were uncharacteristically empty. He stuck his head in one and found the computer was on. The desk looked as if someone had left abruptly. He checked the cup of coffee causing a ring on a pile of papers. It was lukewarm. Whoever left did so recently. He passed two more empty offices before he approached the open door at the end of the hall. He detected the smell of burnt gunpowder.

Michael's eyes wandered around him as he made his way closer to the door. Moans came out of the room. He didn't like the sound. Something was wrong. He burst inside with his gun drawn, but at first all he saw was the table covered with files and the computer. He turned in a circle and didn't see anyone else. Carefully, he slipped around the table and looked down at the floor. Two bodies lay there.

"Jesse," he muttered as he saw the man's arm move. He knelt beside him. "Jesse, are you okay?"

"What do you think," Jesse replied, barely able to get the words out of his mouth. He held one hand over a wound near his side. "I've been shot, man."

"Who did this? Was it Anson?"

"No. It was some guy. Never... never saw him before." The words took the last of Jesse's strength and he lost consciousness.

Michael muttered a curse and leaned over to check Dani. She was still breathing, but she had a serious gunshot wound to the upper chest. He pulled out his phone. "Fi, it's me. The place is cleared out except for Jesse and Dani. They've been shot. We need help here!"

"I'll call 911," she said and quickly hung up.

"Michael, are they going to die?"

He looked over the table and saw his mother standing in the doorway with a pinched look on her face. "Ma, I need your help. See if you can find any first aid supplies around here."

"Okay. There's a break room back that way. I'll see if there's anything inside."

He heard her feet as she ran down the hall. He dialed Sam's number, then remembered that he didn't have a phone. Maddie returned with a small plastic case and some linens.

"I found these in a drawer." She used one to press onto Jesse's wound. He groaned and tried to move away, but she spoke to him softly. "Jesse, it's okay. I know it hurts, but I'm trying to help you." She turned to Michael. "Are you calling for help?"

"I did. They're on the way, and security is on the way up here as well," Fiona answered as she knelt down beside Dani. She and Maddie did what they could in the meantime, while Michael tried getting a hold of Sam.

Michael dialed directory assistance and asked for the number for the hotel a couple blocks away that he saw Sam and Elsa enter. The phone rang, and a male voice answered in a pleasant tone. "San Francisco Westin."

"Yes, I'd like to be connected to the room that Jake Baldwin is staying in."

"I'm sorry, Sir, we don't have anyone by that name registered here."

"He was with a woman. Her name is Elsa. They probably booked the penthouse."

"Without a last name..."

"Pfister," Maddie whispered. "Her last name is Pfister."

"Elsa Pfister," Michael repeated into the phone. "My name is Michael Westen. Please, it's an emergency!"

"Mr. Westin?" The man hesitated. "One moment, Sir. I'll connect you."

If things weren't so dire, Michael would have laughed at the fact that the man misunderstood his last name. The phone rang three times, making him nervous. Then someone picked up. He heard a moan, a breath, and Sam's voice.

"Hang on, Elsa baby." A pause, and his voice came through louder, and cranky. "Yeah, who is it?"

"Sam, it's Michael."

"Mike. What's wrong?"

The sound of rustling sheets stopped in the background. He heard Elsa ask, "Sammy?"

"Shh, honey. Mike, what's going on?"

"Dani and Jesse have been shot, and Tricia and her team are all missing."

"Crap! Mike, I'm sorry! I thought Tricia could be trusted!" Sheets shifted again as he got off the bed. "Are you still at Roxy?"

"Yes. Sam, you probably won't be able to get in. Security is coming up, the cops and ambulances are on the way. Just stay where you are and make sure everything's locked down."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. It's bad enough that Fi and my mom are here."

"Okay." Sam hesitated. "Keep me posted."

"I will." Michael closed the connection at the sound of thumping. Security must have arrived. He said to Fiona and Maddie, "Stay here. I'll be right back." He rushed down the hall with his gun drawn, yet cautious. There was no one in the reception area. He heard more thumping and realized it came from a room next to the break area. He neared the door and slowly turned the knob. It easily gave way in his hand and he pushed it inward.

"No! No farther!" Tricia screamed at him. "It was Anson! He came in here with a team, forced us all in here, and rigged us and the door. If you open it any wider, we're all done for, and so is part of this building!"

Michael peered through the narrow space between the door and the frame. Everyone in Tricia's team was accounted for. They were all tied up, each rigged with a pack of C4 around their necks. All the packs were wired to the one next to it, and the circle ended at the booby trapped door.

"Michael, if you're smart you'll get out of here now with anybody else who's with you. Make sure Sam is safe."

"He is, Tricia. He's... he's with Elsa." He was careful not to give away Sam's location on the off chance that Anson had the place bugged.

"I'd never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I'm glad he's with another woman right now and not here." She shifted her weight carefully. "Michael, please. Get out now. If any one of us gets tired and we have to sit down, this bomb will go off. If one of us sneezes, it'll blow." She swallowed hard and fought the temptation to break into tears. "Tell Sam I still love him, and I'm sorry we didn't get to say goodbye."

"Tricia, no! Don't even start thinking like that! Hang on, we'll figure out a way to get you all out of here safely!"

"Sir! What are you doing there?"

Tricia's eyes widened. "It's security!"

"Okay, just relax." He turned to face the barrel chested, suit wearing man who approached him. "No time for intros. The staff of Roxy Communications is in there, and someone rigged them to blow. We need a bomb squad here immediately. Hurry!"

The man stared at Michael, then glanced through the door. He pushed it, the women inside screamed, and Michael clamped a hand on his.

"Do that, and you kill them and us."

He squinted at Michael. "What did you do to them?"

"It wasn't me. I just found them." He got into the guy's face, his voice rising. "Call a bomb squad and stop wasting time with questions!" He lifted his radio to speak, but Michael put a hand on his hand and pushed it down. "Use the phone! We don't know if this thing is set to trigger off of a radio signal or not."

"Okay." He turned and ran down the hall and disappeared through the reception area. He soon returned. "We've got a bomb squad and SWAT team on the way. You better be telling me the truth, mister, or you'll be in a ton of trouble."

Michael held up his hands, his gun still in one of them. "I swear. You don't wanna try and test this one, not if you want everybody to walk away alive."

Within minutes, sirens echoed off the buildings as rescue vehicles, police, the bomb squad and SWAT team arrived, blocking street traffic. While the bomb squad worked on getting Tricia's team out of the supply closet, paramedics took Jesse and Dani down to the man level. They worked on them and prepped them for transport. Michael, Fiona, and Maddie watched nearby until they were gone.

"We better get over to the hotel," Michael said. "Make sure Sam and Elsa are okay."

"I'm almost hoping Anson shows up there," Fiona said with blood in her eyes. "It would give me great pleasure to take him down."

"Get in line, honey," Maddie muttered as she held her purse close to her side.

"Ma, I didn't know you were packing," Michael said from Fiona's right side as he glanced at her actions.

"Did you really think I'd go on a mission like this unarmed? Please, Michael! I've learned a lot from you." She threw her half smoked cigarette on the sidewalk. "Here we are, let's get this done."

The three fell silent and entered the hotel. He and Fiona quickly scanned the lobby, checking out the few people sitting in chairs lounging about the large space. Seeing no one familiar, he approached the front desk.

"Hi, I'm Michael Westen. I called earlier to speak to my friend in the penthouse." He paused and held up his gun. "We need access to the penthouse. Now."

The man looked him up and down. With incredible calm he asked, "Is this still an emergency?"

"Yes, it is."

The man noticed Fiona and Maddie standing behind Michael, and he shook his head. "This must be some party."

"What do you mean?"

"Some man showed up shortly before you. Said he had an appointment with Ms. Pfister and that it was urgent he go up. I was about to call the penthouse, when he pulled out a gun and said he was with the FBI."

Michael lowered his gun. "The FBI. Did he show you any id?"

"He flashed something, but it was too quick for me to see."

"What did he look like?"

The man behind the desk described Anson to a tee. Michael pursed his lips, holding back his anger. "You let him go up?"

"I'm sorry, Sir. He gave me no choice."

Michael held up a balled fist and gritted his teeth. The fist came down on the counter in frustration. "Get on the phone and call the police, and have them go up to the penthouse. Immediately!" Michael pushed away and hurried to the elevators, shouting over his shoulder. "Fi, you and Ma stay here! I mean it!" He pushed the button to call the elevator, but it couldn't come fast enough. He attacked the button repeatedly, thinking about Anson and where he could be. Sam was armed, but if Anson showed up with a team, he and Elsa were dead.

The door opened and it was all he could do to keep himself from pulling the passengers roughly out of the car. When it was empty, he hit the penthouse button and shifted his weight from one foot to the other as it rose. He checked his weapon; it was fully loaded and ready in his hand. The doors opened and he found himself in a small lobby. There were two doors in front of him, but only one, with the Do Not Disturb sign still hanging from the handle, stood open.

Elsa's scream removed any doubt about which door was correct. Michael pressed forward and flattened himself against the wall, then carefully looked into the room. He heard sounds of things bumping and crashing, and Elsa crying. The elevator dinged, and Michael turned his body toward the sound, gun at the ready.

Two men dressed from head to toe in combat gear came out with automatic weapons drawn, and Michael quickly raised his hands. "You Westen?"

"Yeah."

"Lt. Stone, USMC, Mr. Westen. We were dispatched here to take care of a situation. The SWAT team was a little busy."

Elsa screamed louder and the shrill sound raked on Michael's nerves, but he kept himself calm. "My friend and his girlfriend are in there. I don't know how many others are inside, but we can't wait for those two to get killed. Come on!"

"What's your friend look like?"

"Well... he'll be the only guy wearing very few clothes. Come on, stop wasting time!" Michael led the way inside, and they quickly and quietly approached the room where all the noise originated.

The wall shook. "Sammy!"

They heard gasping and the sounds of struggling. Someone let out a belabored growl and furniture scraped on the floor.

Michael held up his hand with three fingers. Then he dropped the fingers one at a time, counted them off, and on three, he kicked open the door and made himself a smaller target as he entered. The men in body armor covered him as the three barged into the room.

Sam and Anson were locked in a struggle, while Elsa stood near the bed and clutched a sheet around her body. She saw Michael and called out. "Michael! Help!"

Two of Anson's team came up from the opposite side of the bed and prepared to fire, but the Marines got them first. Another came from behind the door just as Elsa screamed a warning. Michael grabbed the door and shoved it into him, sending him down to the floor, unconscious.

A vase shattered, and their attention returned to the fighting men.

"Stand down, both of you," Lt. Stone barked out, but neither one heard him.

Anson got in a punch to Sam's cheek. Sam leaned back, but then he threw his weight forward and sent Anson backpedaling. He pummeled him with a fist to the face. Anson's glasses went flying. He got in another punch and Anson's back collided with the floor-to-ceiling window. It shook on impact. Anson held a gun in his left hand and fired at the rescue team.

Sam ducked and put his shoulder into Anson's stomach. The two barreled into the window again, a thunderous crack filled the room, and it opened up and shattered into large pieces.

"Sammy!"

"Sam!" Michael closed the distance as the two men fell, and the Lieutenant was right beside him.

Sam saw nothing but horizon, glass shards falling, and Anson's body. Then gravity snatched Anson away. He saw the ground, and Sam instinctively closed his eyes. If he was going to die by falling fifteen stories, he wasn't about to do it with eyes wide open. Anson screamed and he felt the man latch onto his arm. Instinctively, Sam tried to grasp his wrist, but it slowly pulled away. He couldn't help himself. He opened his eyes and watched Anson tumble to the street below.

Strangely enough, he didn't follow. A second later, he saw the side of the tower rushing at him, and his body slammed into it before he could break the impact. The force knocked the wind out of him.

"Don't let him go! Sam, we've got you!" Two pairs of hands grabbed his calves and held on tight.

He was never so glad to hear Michael's voice in his life. He looked down and saw Anson's body sprawled on the pavement and people rushing toward it. He slipped an inch or two. Pressing his hands against the glass wall to keep from slipping further didn't help. Somehow, he found the breath to speak. "Oh, Mike, can you kinda hurry? This is, uh, really uncomfortable!"

Michael's strained voice replied, "Well, it's a good thing you were wearing your pants, Sam."

"Yeah, I couldn't agree more, brother!" Sam felt a hand grab the waist band of his jeans and pull. It took some effort, but they hauled him up onto the floor. He rolled away from the edge and into Elsa's arms, and she sobbed as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. "It's okay, honey. I'm alright." He put an arm around her.

Michael sat next to them, trying to catch his breath. He placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. "That... that was way too close."

"No kidding! Next time... be a little faster... getting here, okay?"

"There's not gonna be another next time," Elsa blubbered. "If I have to put you in a fortress to keep you away from these creeps, Sammy, I will!"

Sam got himself up into a sitting position and pulled Elsa into his lap. "Shh, I'm fine. It's okay." Other than a few bruises he was sure to have. Nothing like the head splitting that Anson had, though. "Mike, did you see? Is he really down there?"

"I don't know, Sam. And I'm sorry, I'm not getting close to that window to find out."

"Don't blame ya." He kissed Elsa's cheek and ran his hand through her hair. His other arm pulled her tightly to him, and she pressed close, no doubt wishing she could burrow into him. Sam wouldn't have minded that one bit.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Sam sat alone at the table, waiting for his guests to arrive. It had been a few months, and he was really looking forward to seeing them. Then he spied the three walking toward him on the crowded sidewalk. He waved at Kurt, and his friend smiled and waved back, then urged Amanda and Terri to hurry along. The two were so busy looking in the shop windows, huddled together and talking excitedly, Kurt had a hard time getting the ladies' attention. Terri saw Sam, grinned, and poked Amanda. Sam watched with amusement as the group approached his table.

"Hey, you made it!" He gave Kurt a hearty handshake. "You like the hotel?"

"It's terrific," he replied. "I feel bad that we're not paying for that suite. It's too much, really."

"Ah, don't worry about it," Sam said and dismissed it with a gesture. "After your help, Elsa was only too glad to let you use the room for free."

Terri gave Sam a warm hello hug. "Is it really your girlfriend's hotel?"

"Yeah. Only she's not my girlfriend anymore."

"Oh no, Sam!" Terri gasped.

His smile turned into a grin. "She's my fiancee now."

"Congratulations," Amanda said as she gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I hope you appreciate how good you've got it."

"Oh, believe me, there's nothing like a near-death experience to make you think about life and how you treat the ones you love." Sam sat, raised his arm and signaled the server. After everyone was settled with drinks and the small talk died down, he faced Amanda. With one hand he pulled a large envelope from where it lay beside his elbow and slid it over to her.

"What's this?" She picked it up.

"Remember when I said I promised I would do whatever I could to dissolve our marriage?"

"To tell you the truth, I'd forgotten all about that. Most times I forget we were even married."

"Yeah. I can imagine." He looked embarrassed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that." Amanda turned her attention to the envelope and tapped it with her finger. "What is this?"

"Papers for a no-fault divorce. It's the easiest way to get this done, and you don't even have to show up to court. Just sign them." He looked deeply into her eyes. "Then you'll be free of me, and you two are officially married."

"Thank you, Sam." Her lower lip trembled slightly.

"Hey, it was the least I could do, after what I put you through. I'm sorry, Manda."

She felt his eyes on her and looked up at him. "I forgive you. You know that." Amanda smiled and studied his face. "Hey, I just realized that you let your hair go natural."

"Yeah, there was no longer any point to the dye job. Elsa loves me the way I am." He smiled, but he wasn't looking at Amanda. "Excuse me a minute." He got up and stepped away. The three watched as he met a slightly older woman at the patio edge, kissed her lips, put an arm around her waist, and led her to the table. "Everybody, this is Elsa. Elsa, this is Amanda, her husband Kurt, and Manda's sister Terri."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Elsa," Amanda said politely as she held out her hand to shake Elsa's.

"Thank you, Amanda. When Sammy said you were coming, I was really excited about meeting you." She sat in the chair that Sam vacated, and he sat to her left. Elsa turned to him, placed a hand on his, and asked, "Did you give her the papers, Sammy dear?"

"I did." He waved to the server. "Uno mojito, por favor!"

Amanda found it quite interesting that Sam knew exactly what to order for Elsa. He had no clue what she liked to drink. Ever. She vaguely remembered them sucking down some bad cheap beer under the stars in an overgrown farm field. It was what started their mad drunken dash to the justice of the peace and sent them down a road that neither of them was ready for. Times change, people change. She saw it in the way he angled his body toward Elsa, his right arm leaning on the back of her chair so when she sat back, his hand caressed her shoulder. He'd kept his sunglasses on until Elsa joined them, and then he took them off and laid them beside his phone on the table. Amanda could see the intensity of the love in his eyes when he looked at the other woman. It made her feel cheated because he never looked at her like that.

I refuse to let that green monster spoil this vacation! We're going to have the time of our lives with Sam and Elsa, like we're all a bunch of really good friends! She gave her attention to Kurt, squeezed his hand, and thanked God for what she had. Reality was better than anything she could have imagined with her ex.

Sam's phone rang. He glanced at the screen. "I'll be right back." He stood, answered, "Hey, Roxy!" with a happy tone, and walked away from the table. The conversation was short, and he returned in the middle of the ladies talking about shopping in the area. Poor Kurt looked bored.

"So, what was that about," Elsa asked.

"Roxy wanted to let me know what was up back in Frisco."

"She's okay, right?" Elsa looked at him with eyes that urged him to spill his news.

"Yeah, she's fine. She and her team used Anson's shock and awe tactics as a learning experience. Roxy Communications isn't going to get caught with its pants down any time soon." He grinned. "She asked when we were getting married."

"And you said..."

"Soon as the ink's dry on the divorce papers, baby." He gave her a peck on the lips.

"Is she planning on being here for the wedding?" Elsa got a worried look on her face. As much as the woman professed to be 'just friends' with her Sammy, she couldn't help but feel that Tricia had other ideas.

Sam was amazed sometimes at how well he could read Elsa. When he saw the look on her face, he knew she was more than a little concerned about Roxy ruining their plans. He put an arm around her and leaned closer. "Don't worry. It'll all be over before she can visit. I promise."

They heard a car horn and all heads turned. Jesse drove past in his silver Porsche with the top down and a very beautiful woman sitting in the seat beside him. Sam waved as he drove away, then turned to Elsa with a satisfied smirk. "Okay, baby, pay up." He held out his hand toward Elsa and wiggled his fingers.

"Ohhhh," Elsa grumbled and reached into her purse, pulled out a twenty, and slapped it into his hand.

Sam laughed and deposited the cash into his pants pocket.

"What was that all about," Kurt asked, squinting at Sam.

"After the showdown with Anson, Jesse insisted on coming back to Miami as soon as he was able. So he did, but then there were some complications, and he wound up back in the hospital. There was this nurse who took care of him, and she was hot." He glanced at Elsa when he spoke. She was still irritated. "I was sure Jesse would ask this nurse to go out with him, and Elsa said no way. So she and I had a bet. Well, he just drove by with Nurse Hottie. I win."

"You know, that really isn't proof," Amanda protested.

"They were dressed up, and I know exactly where he's taking her. It's just down the street that way." He jutted his chin southward as he absently pushed his straw around his drink. "Trust me, they're on a date."

"Hey, are we all ready to order? I know I'm starving," Terri said. She kept her eye on the people walking past, and she locked onto a fine looking guy across the street. "Wow." He grinned at her, but he kept walking. He met up with some cute friends and they continued walking away. "This is a great place for people watching. I see why you like it so much, Sam."

"Yeah. Also, it makes a great meeting place for Mike, Fi, Jesse, and me, and they have the best mojitos in town." He held up his glass. "Anyone ready for round two?"

"I am!" Amanda smiled and lifted hers. When they received new drinks, she held hers and clinked it with Sam's. "Thanks, Sam."

"For what?"

"For finally giving me something I've wanted for thirty years. My freedom." She paused. "And for showing us a good time while we're in Miami."

"I second that!" Kurt added his sentiment, and Terri clinked her glass with theirs. "Just don't get us involved in any of your secret spy stuff, and we'll be okay."

"That's a deal! While you're here, I'm on vacation from all that."

"Just keep reminding yourself of that, sweetie," Elsa said as she playfully bumped his shoulder with hers.

"I think I've got just the thing," Kurt said, and he and Sam got into a conversation about off-shore fishing.

The group around the table forgot about time as they got lost in a hot Miami afternoon with good drinks, good food, and new and old friends. Sam couldn't have asked for a better day. His phone rang, and on the screen, Michael's name came up. If this is about a job...

He answered before it went to voice mail. "Yeah, Mike."

"Sam, where are you right now?"

"I'm at Carlito's. Why?"

"I stopped by the hotel and you weren't there. Neither was Elsa."

"She's here. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just need a favor. I'm on my way to the airport now. Can you keep an eye on Fi while I'm in DC for a few days?"

"Awww, Mike. We all just got back not too long ago, and you're already globetrotting around for the agency?" He took a sip of his mojito. "Fi's due any day now, you know."

"Yeah, and that's why I'm asking you to watch over her. I have to go up and talk to Card, and Dani is coming along." He paused. "She's moving back to DC, Sam, and that means I'm pretty much on my own again in Miami."

"Oh, you're never alone, Mikey! You've always got me, Fi, and Jesse." Sam grinned.

Michael laughed. "You know what I mean."

"Are we going back to freelancing? Not that I mind that one bit. Dealing with the Feds is like paddling upstream with a waterfall at your back."

"That's why I'm going to talk to Card. I need to know where I stand with the agency. Wish me luck."

"You're gonna need it, brother!" Sam looked up at his audience. "Hey, I've gotta go. Take care, we'll keep an eye on Fi, not like she needs it, but, you know. I'll give you a call if she goes into labor or something. You know she's going to be hot if you're not here when the baby comes."

"I'll see what I can do and try to get this over in one day. Thanks, Sam. I owe you."

"Yeah. One of these days, you're gonna have to pay up, buddy." He chuckled. "Later, Mikey." He hung up the phone, laid it on the table, and said, "I was really hoping he wasn't going to try to get back in with the agency."

"Me too. He has a family to think about now," Elsa said.

"Let's just hope that Card decides he's better off not being part of their team."

A few days later, Sam and Elsa were at the hotel pool when Michael walked up to the side. He steered clear of a puddle of water and stood on the edge looking down as Sam touched the lip right between Michael's spread feet.

He wiped the water away from his face and looked up. "Mikey! You're back!" He squinted at Michael. "That was a quick trip to DC."

"Yeah." Michael surveyed the pool and watched as Fiona sat on the edge of the pool and soaked her feet in the water. She saw him, waved, and got up to meet him.

"So, what happened?"

Fiona stopped next to Michael, put her arms around him and kissed him deeply. "I missed you. I was afraid that Card would steal you away and I'd never see you again."

Michael smiled as he caressed her cheek. "That would never happen, Fi. You're a lot prettier than he is. Besides, I have family here." His hand moved down to her swollen belly, and he was rewarded with movement that made his smile widen. "And friends." He glanced down at Sam. "I'm staying in Miami, and I'll do a job here and there for the agency, but I told Tom where my priorities were."

Sam snorted. "I bet he wasn't happy about that."

"He wasn't. But he offered me Dani's job." He saw the surprise on Sam's face. "I told him I'd think about it. I've got Family Medical Leave to use up first, and then I'd let him know."

"That's a good one, Mike," Sam said with a laugh. "Leave him hanging for awhile. After the way they treated you, the agency deserves a little reverse chain yanking."

Fi looked up at him with wide eyes. "Michael, a job like that..."

"It would keep me around here, and it would be steady work. Just what a responsible family man needs." He held her closer to himself.

"So if you take this, no more freelance stuff, huh," Sam asked.

"Sorry, Sam."

"Well, jeez... I kinda missed that stuff." He glanced around and saw that Elsa was out of the pool talking with Amanda, her attention far from him. "I guess Jesse and I'll have to find a new partner or two. It won't be the same, but... we'll get by." Sam winked, pushed off the side of the pool, and backstroked the length.

"I'm glad you're settling down, Michael. I'll need help with this baby, and not having to worry about where you are or whether your safe will go a long way toward easing my mind." She suddenly sucked in a breath.

"Fi, are you okay?"

"Oh, just a twinge."

"A twinge." He looked at her as if he suspected this wasn't the first one.

"It's nothing, really! Let's just enjoy the day. Go up to Sam and Elsa's, get out of that suit, and put on a bathing suit instead." She grinned. "I brought yours along, just in case."

Michael laughed and put both his arms around her, then kissed her. "Sometimes you really amaze me, Fi."

She slipped him the keycard. "Go on. We'll be waiting."

He nodded, took the key, and walked inside the hotel. Michael contemplated the changes that were about to happen in his life, and truth be told he was more than a little uneasy about them. What kind of spy would he be if he couldn't adapt? But when things got bad, and he knew it was inevitable that there would always be major challenges, he and Fiona could always count on their family and friends to offer shelter in the middle of life's storms.


End file.
